Silas Snape
by Mahara-Wild-Child
Summary: When the daughter of Severus Snape overhears Dumbledore's plan for Harry Potter, she knows what she has to do. Even if it means sacrificing all she knows. Set from year one to year four. Evil!Harry being rewritten. Old posts updated!
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: If only my diabolical plan of a card board box, a length of string and a carrot had worked, I would have captured JK Rowling and now own Harry Potter. But, alas, she not only saw through my attempt, but laughed. So, sadly, I don't own Harry Potter but am only playing in JK Rowling's world.

As if I have to put this up, this story is AU. It is not compliant with any cannon book, movie or scribbles hidden away in JK Rowling's desk.

Silas Snape

Prologue

August 1, 1980

The nursery in St. Mungo's was kept dimly lit to protect the sensitive eyes of the newborn babies. Rows of bassinets with little blue of pink bows filled a bulk of the room. Each corner had a chair and curtain for privacy when the tired mothers or wet nurses came to feed their assigned children.

In one corner sat a very proud James Potter, showing off his newborn bundle of joy to his two best friends. His son, Harry James Potter, had been born just the other day and James wanted to spend time with his on while his wife, Lily, slept. His two best friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, stood on either side of him, making faces and cooing over the sleeping baby.

"He looks just like you, James," said Sirius. He was a handsome man with short black hair, piercing eyes and an aura of dangerous bad boy that made the women swoon. He and James had been friends from their first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "Little Prongs will have quite the legacy to live up to."

"Just don't let Lily hear you teaching him any of our secrets," cautioned Remus. He was a little shorter then Sirius with mousy brown hair, tired hazel eyes and strange scars on his body. "She's been talking about how he'll grow up to the new Minister of Magic or something like that."

James laughed. "I know. Lily wants him to be respectable and not wild like I was."

"Did you hear about the Longbottoms? They had a son just two days ago." Remus said. "It sounds like everyone is having babies now."

"Yeah, Alice's room is next to Lily's. Those two are already planning how to spend the kid's birthdays," said James. "This whole being pregnant together has really brought them closer."

Remus nodded before adding cautiously, "And, what about Edna Longbottom? I heard she was pregnant, too."

Sirius snorted. "You mean, Edna Snape? Don't forget, she married that greasy git after school. What she saw in him, I'll never know."

"I haven't heard a thing. Frank has been careful to not talk about his sister." James told them. Sirius ignored him, tickling little Harry under his chin. Only Remus looked worried. Frank Longbottom was a good friend of theirs and loved his only sister with all his heart and soul.

James kept his head down over his son. He knew why Frank hadn't talked about his sister lately. Frank knew that James and his friends had hated Snape, and now that he was Frank's brother-in-law, Frank felt some kind of loyalty to the man. Any time Snape's name was mentioned around Sirius, the man would rattle off everything wrong with their childhood enemy. James knew that Frank finally got tired of sticking up for his sister's husband.

James looked up as one burly nurse came marching in. She pulled a curtain between the men and the rest of the room. Curious, the three men peered around the curtain as another healer brought a man into the nursery. James sucked on his teeth as he recognized the man.

How could he ever forget that pale skin, greasy hair or dark, piercing eyes? It had been over a year since they had last met, since they had graduated from Hogwarts together. He had thought that he had seen the last of him. However, now his twitchy spider-like walk had morphed into a silent glide, he was more confident then he had been in school, but James could still see the loner he had once known and tormented.

"Severus Snape," hissed Sirius. "Speak of the devil."

"What is he doing here?" Remus asked. "I thought Edna wasn't due for at least another month or so."

James glanced back at his normally reserved and quiet friend. Remus would be the kind to learn when Edna Snape was due. He cared enough about everyone, even sticking up for Snape at school. Though Remus never stopped them from hurting Snape, he had a way of making them feel guilty afterwards.

"This way, Mr. Snape. Please, sit in the chair and I'll bring her over to you," the healer said.

"Is she all right?" Snape's silky voice questioned. James frowned. Was that a tremor to his nemesis' voice? "I was told it was an emergency."

"Your daughter is fine, Mr. Snape. She will live."

"And my wife? I thought she would be here. She wasn't in a room! No one will tell me what happened!"

The healer ignored Snape's outburst as she lifted a tiny pink-wrapped baby and placed it in his arms. "I am sorry, Mr. Snape, but your wife didn't make it."

"How! How can she die from childbirth!" Snape glared at the healer as he lovingly cradled the baby in his arms. "This is the best Wizard's hospital in all of England, possibly the world! How can you let a woman die!"

"Mr. Snape, we did not let her die. It was not in our control."

"Was it the labor? Did she have complications? Why wasn't I summoned earlier! No one came to tell me until it was too late! Why!"

The healer seemed taken back. "I thought you knew, Mr. Snape. She drank some poison at the house, which is what caused her go into labor early. We weren't able to save her, we were barely able to save your daughter. It was only the sheer luck that Dumbledore found her when he did or we would have lost both of them. We think she might have been trying to kill herself."

"Anything to get away from Snape, I bet," whispered Sirius. James turned to shush his friend. As much as he disliked Snape, it unnerved him to see the greasy slimeball on the verge of tears, rocking the only thing he had left of his wife.

"Poor Edna," whispered Remus. "Frank will be devastated when he finds out about his sister."

Snape had married Edna Longbottom, a lovely Ravenclaw girl who had developed some strange fascination with him. Her brother, Frank, was in Gryffindor with James and his friends. In the war against the dark wizard, Voldemort, Frank and James were now part of the same army for Light. He had learned that something was bothering Edna, that she was unhappy. Though there was no proof that Snape was the cause of her unhappiness as even Frank admitted that the Slytherin boy was attentive to his sister's needs.

It was through Frank's eyes that James learned a different side of the boy he hated in school. Snape sold his home and bought one closer to Hogwarts, so he could spend more time with Edna while he was training to be a Potions Master. He always cooked for her, taking her well-being into account. Though Frank didn't like Slytherins, he admitted that Snape was all right.

"Is my daughter all right?" Snape asked. "The poison didn't effect her? Should babies be born two months in advance?"

"She'll live, but it is doubtful of how long. She was poisoned, too. There is a slight chance she's a Squib." The healer's voice turned cold as she spoke the most feared fate of all wizards. To be born in a magical family, without magic, to live a life deprived of the joys and wonders that other wizards have and to sit and wish for that spark to come into their lives. Most Squibs, upon learning they would never do magic, never attend their parent's school, or ever learn the joys of flying on a broomstick or using a wand, end up killing themselves.

Snape held his daughter tighter, but when that little pink-wrapped girl whimpered, he immediately adjusted his grip. "A Squib? Do you know what poison it was? What are you doing to keep her alive? Was it something Edna found in the house?"

"We are doing all that we can. It is best if you spend what time she has left with her. As I mentioned, we don't know if she'll live, or if she will ever be a witch."

"It won't matter, she will only know love. Magical or powerless, she's still a Snape."

"I'll leave you with the girl, Mr. Snape. You should really think of what you want to name her."

Snape said nothing as the healer left. James felt like an intruder as he and his friends huddled in the back, his son sleeping in his arms, witnessing his enemy's pain. The Slytherin man slowly rocked the baby in his arms, crooning softly.

"You'll need a strong name, then," whispered Snape. "A strong name to make you healthy."

Sirius snorted, his lips right next to James's ear. "A strong name won't help that kid. Getting it way from Snape might."

"I swear, Sirius, you have all the heart of a rock," Remus muttered.

"I do not," muttered Sirius. "Can you imagine what kind of father he'd be? That kid will be a Death Eater before she's cut her first tooth."

"We have no evidence that Snape's a Death Eater."

"We have no evidence that he's not."

"Will you both shut up? I don't think it'll go over too kindly if he finds us back here."

Snape leaned over the baby in his arms, placing a kiss on the tiny forehead. James felt a shiver of relief that they hadn't been heard as Snape continued to talk to his daughter. "I had always thought my first child would be a boy. I planned on naming him after my grandfather. He was a strong man, a good man. I wish you could have met him and my mother."

Snape sighed. "Your grandmother would have spoiled you rotten. She died young, while I was in school. But I know she would have loved you. Edna, your mom, reminded me of her. So kind and caring, seeing beyond what others saw. You'll be like that, I know. You're special."

The door to the nursery opened and James saw Frank Longbottom enter the room. He and his friends moved farther back in the shadows and watched as Frank walked up to Snape.

Frank Longbottom's dark hair was plastered to his round face from sweat, evidence that he had ran here from the Apperation point in the lobby of St. Mungo's. He was a round, clumsy man with a quick smile and an eagerness to please. At the moment, he was out of breath, one hand clutching the front of his

Auror robes while the other gripped the door to steady himself.

"I heard about Edna," Frank said. "I'm so sorry, Severus. I got here as soon as I could."

"Don't be," Snape whispered. "None of it was your fault. I must have made her unhappy, some how. I'm the one that is sorry."

"Severus, you couldn't have known. Edna was good at hiding her feelings when things were wrong. I know she loved you."

Snape shook his head. "They said she drank poison. What if she got it from the house? I kept anything dangerous locked up, but she must have found the key. I might as well have killed her. I left that stuff in the house. It was my fault!"

Frank shook his head. "No. I knew something was bothering her, but I thought it was temporary. The last time we talked, she was looking forward to having the baby. She was smiling and showing me the plans for the nursery. I thought she was better."

"Maybe I wasn't home enough. I though moving to Hogsmead would be a good thing, I could see Edna every day instead of on the weekends. I'm only a month away from being certified as a Potions Master, and Dumbledore said he'd have a job waiting for me. I was on my way to tell her that when I was told she was here." Snape's voice broke as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I should have been there for her!"

"No, this was not your fault. The healers told me that she was whispering something about Death Eaters when they brought her in. We think they must have placed her under the Imperio curse or forced the poison in her. It is no secret that I'm an Auror, they might have targeted her because of that."

"They have no rhyme or reason to who they target," Snape said bitterly. "It could have been a whim. I heard Dumbledore was there, he found her."

"Yes, he got there right after she drank the poison. We're lucky he decided to check up on her."

"Did he see any of the Death Eaters?"

Frank shook his head. "Not that I know of. All I know is that he found her, on the floor with a bottle in her hand. She was bleeding and in labor."

"The healers barely talked to me when I arrived. Just brought me here before telling me that Edna was . . ." Snape's voice trailed off as he took in one very shaky breath.

"I got a little more out of the healers and Dumbledore. He didn't know how you'd react, you've always been so closed off. They thought that if they showed you your daughter first, then you'd take the news better."

Snape looked down at his daughter. "They could have done it better. I was led here, thinking I'd see Edna with our child. They handed me the girl before they even told me she was dead. And they think my daughter will either die or be a Squib."

"I heard. They said the poison reached the baby, but they haven't found out what kind yet. She's too early, too weak, and who knows what else. Mother isn't taking it very easily, crying about burying my sister and now thinking of a tiny coffin for the baby."

"She's not dead yet!" Snape snapped. "I am a Potions Master! I can find out how to keep her alive. My daughter will not die without a fight. Snapes do not give up!"

Frank smiled. "Very well. What's her name, then?"

Snape sighed. "I do need to name her. She should have a strong name."

"Any name you were thinking about?"

"Yes. Silas, after my grandfather. I always thought my first child would be named after him. Or maybe Elaine after my mother."

"Silas Snape? For a girl?" Frank paused for a moment as he weighed the two options. He muttered them over and over before saying, "I think that would work. Edna never mentioned any baby names. Silas is a wonderful name."

Snape and Frank stood there for a while, watching the baby sleep. Finally, Snape put her back in her crib and the two men walked away, Frank's hand on Snape's back in brotherly comfort. James and his friends waited a bit before walking out of the corner. Sirius shook his head when he passed by baby Silas.

"Silas, what kind of name is that for a girl?"

"I think it's cute," Remus said. "Poor guy, he lost his wife." He reached down into the bassinet and tickled baby Silas under her chin. The child, smaller then Harry, gave a weak smile in her sleep.

"Why are you touching her?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. I think the poor kid has already been through a lot." Remus said. "Look, she's smiling."

"She's a Snape, Remus. I swear, you are too tenderhearted sometimes." Sirius said. He peered in the bassinet and scoffed. "She's not smiling. That's probably gas."

Remus shrugged. "How can you be so mean? Look at her, Sirius, she's innocent."

"She'll have Snape's nose for sure," Sirius muttered. He glared into the bassinet, watching as Remus cooed and tickled the little girl. When she yawned and curled up in a ball, Remus stopped.

"Ready? We should get out of here," Sirius said.

"Coming," Remus replied. He leaned down and quickly kissed Silas on the forehead, believing the poor girl needed all the love she can get. He kissed baby Harry as well.

Sirus shook his head. He was not one to just forgive Snape merely because of a baby. He left the room first. Remus followed him, but not after tickling the baby one more time.

James placed Harry back in his crib and started to leave. He paused, looking back at Silas, sleeping next to his son. James thought back to what his nemesis had just gone through. He had no idea what he'd do if he lost Lily. "Hang in there, Silas, you'll do that old slimeball some good."

In her sleep, Silas gurgled happily, her tiny pink slippered feet kicking on reflex. In the crib next to her, baby Harry answered her with a small, watery coo of his own.

A/N: I am rewriting all the chapters since my computer ate the original outline I had. I'll be posting new chapters soon after I finish with the old ones, so they all make sense.


	2. The Fateful Meeting

Ch. 01

"Diagon Alley"

July 31, 1991

One month before school opened, Diagon Alley was the busiest shopping area in all of the Wizarding world. Witches and wizards scurried about with their kids in tow, parchment clutched in their hands with the supplies needed printed on them. Children had their noses pressed against the glass at the Quidditch supply store, staring in awe at the brooms while bags of books, potion supplies and cauldrons lay forgotten at their feet.

In Madam Malkin's robe shop, two kids stood in front of the mirrors, their new school robes measured to fit. Each one had an assistant who hemmed and pinned the robes to the right length.

"Say, Draco, does this robe make me look fat?"

The boy sighed as he studied from the corner of one gray eye the girl next to him. He sneered slightly as he watched her primp for the mirror, a regular ball of energy. She couldn't stand still. It was her only charm. She was, quite frankly, a rather plain and unattractive girl. She had long chestnut brown hair that was prone to oiliness. By the mid-afternoon her hair was limp, hanging from her ponytail in greasy strings. Her body was scrawny with long, thin, knobby arms and legs and her face was dominated by her hooked nose and sharp black eyes. Her cruel mouth had a scar from the left corner up her cheek, giving the illusion that she was always smirking.

Her only redeeming feature was her sharp wit and cunning mind. She was strong and had the personality of a fighter. Born weak, she should have died as a child. She should have died at the age of one when she was caught in a horrible Deatheater attack that gave her the scar. However, she thrived and grew powerful. She defeated the odds, and he found himself admiring her for that, if nothing else.

The boy was her opposite. Handsome, even at that young age, with pale blond hair and sharp gray eyes. He carried himself with the quiet poise of his good breeding. He had been born strong and often found himself protecting her. She was the daughter of his mother's friend, and he thought of her as his sister. His rather plain and weak sister.

"You look fine, Silas. Now stop moving or you'll get stuck with a pin."

"No I – ow!"

The boy, Draco Malfoy, laughed. He and Silas were preparing for their first year at Hogwarts with his parents. At this moment, his father was haggling the price of his hazelwood wand, not thinking it was worth the galleons he paid.

"I warned you," Draco said.

Silas stuck out her tongue. She stood still, not wanting to get poked again. She didn't even turn when the door opened, but she didn't miss the figure that appeared behind her in the mirror.

"Hey, first year at Hogwarts?" Silas called, seeing a mop of unruly black hair duck shyly behind her shoulder. She tried to lean back and got a glimpse of sad green eyes and a pale sunken face. She turned and saw the boy more clearly. He was short and skinny, nearly swallowed by his baggy clothes. This boy, Silas decided, was a Mudblood, born of non-magical perants who inherited his powers by some miracle.

"Yes, hello," the boy said, tugging nervously at his shirt hem. Silas frowned as she noticed one ugly bruise peaking out from underneath his oversized shirt. She shook off her concern. He was a Mudblood and not worthy of her notice.

"Do you know which House you'll be in," she asked. She didn't know if it was to be polite, or show this boy how deep he was now in.

"No, I don't. Sorry," the boy said.

"I'm pretty sure I know which House we'll be in," Draco declared happily, his gray eyes on the stranger in the mirror. "Slytherin is the best House in all of Hogwarts."

Silas jumped down from in front of her mirror as the seamstress finished. She motioned for the boy to take her place. He did, moving slowly and shyly, as if he expected one of them to bite him or something.

"What House were your parents in?" Silas asked.

"They were our kind, right? Witches and wizards?" Draco inquired.

The boy nodded as he was measured by the seamstress. "I was told that they were in Gryffindor."

Silas quirked one dark eyebrow at this. "You were told your parents were in Gryffindor?"

The boy nodded. "My parents are dead. I was told they were in Gryffindor when I was handed my letter."

There was a slight uncomfortable silence as Draco and Silas looked at each other. Something about this boy wasn't adding up. He looked like a Mudblood, but he said his parents were wizards. He was told about his parents when he was handed his letter? Something wasn't right.

After a bit, Draco finally said, "So, think you'll try out for your House Quidditch team? Granted, First Years aren't even allowed brooms, but I think I might try to sneak one in."

"Quidditch?"

Draco twisted to look at the boy, wincing when he was jabbed with a pin. "Yes, don't you know anything?"

"Draco! Be nice," warned Silas. "I grew up in the Wizarding world, and I barely know a thing about Quidditch."

"That's because you'd rather spend your time with my mother, playing dress up and having tea parties," scoffed Draco. Silas stuck her tongue out at him.

The boy looked even more embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I just – I never knew – I'm sorry."

Silas shook her head. "Don't mind Draco. For all his good breeding, he forgets his manners."

"You're one to talk, Silas. Just because tomorrow's your birthday, you think you're so much more mature then I am. You're only older by a month."

The boy perked up slightly. "Today is my birthday."

"Is it?" Silas drawled. "Congratulations. Oh! Where are my manners. Draco, see what you've done! We never introduced ourselves."

"Don't blame me," Draco said. "That's your fault."

Silas ignored him, giving the boy a bright smile. "I'm Silas Snape and my friend there is Draco Malfoy."

"Pleased to meet you," the boy said. "My name is Harry -"

He was cut off by Draco's digusted exclaim, "What is that?" He was looking at the window.

The 'that' in question was a large, hairy man standing at the window, ice creams in either hand pressed messily against the glass. When he saw the boy – Harry – he waved merrily, causin bits of the ice cream to splatter his bushy beard.

"That's Hagrid, the Groundskeeper for Hogwarts," Harry said, pride filling his voice. 

Silas huffed. "Oh, I know about him. My father is a professor at Hogwarts. I remember one year, Father brought me to the school for Christmas. Hagrid has a reputation for sneaking dangerous animals in his house and I wanted to know if it was true. I was in the hospital for a week after his new three-headed puppy dragged me across the lawn like a chew toy."

"Bit of an oaf, really," said Draco. "He was kicked out of Hogwarts and his wand was snapped. The story was covered up, but you don't get that kind of punishment for nothing. Only murder or something like that. And, my father says he gets drunk regularly and burns down his cottage."

"Really, Draco, that's an exaggeration," Silas said. "The cottage is still standing."

Harry shifted uncomfortably, his green eyes darting between Silas and Hagrid. She could see the small war waging in the boy's mind. This poor Mudblood would need some guidance and she felt up to a charity case.

"How do you know Hagrid, Harry," Silas asked. "Was he friends with your parents?"

Harry nodded. "He said he was. He came to take me shopping since there was no way my relatives would. My uncle hates all things magical."

"It's a surprise they're letting you go to Hogwarts then," said Draco. "Did they think it was just a private school?"

Harry shook his head. "No. They knew what it was. My aunt remembered when my mum got her letter. At first, they tore the letters up, but they kept coming; through the mail slot, down the chimney, hidden in every day objects. Hundreds of them until my uncle forced us to hide. That was when Hagrid came to get me."

Silas's dark eyes narrowed. "Hundreds of letters?"

"Yeah. It was amazing. We coudln't figure out why anyone would want to talk to me that badly. I never even knew that my parents were magical until last night."

"I see," said Silas slowly. "Listen, Harry, if you don't have plans, do try to lunch with us. I'm sure Uncle Lucius and Aunt Cissa would love to meet you. And we can fill you in on the wizarding world. We'll be at the Leaky Cauldron in two hours."

Harry nodded and hopped off the stand. Draco gave a disgrunted growl as he was still stuck there, the seamstress tugging on his robes to make them fall just right.

"I promise to try and make it," said Harry happily. Silas watched as he left the shop and Hagrid swooped down and led him away. She did not miss the friendly wave Harry gave over his shoulder or the suspicious look Hagrid threw their way.

"Silas, why did you invite him to lunch?" Draco demanded as he was finally freed from the seamstress.

Silas grabbed her friend and dragged him outside. "Because I think he's special," she said.

"He's a Mudblood, Silas."

"His parents were magical."

Draco sighed. "Fine, a Half-Blood at best. But you heard him! He had no knowledge of the wizarding world until last night. He might as well have been a Squib."

"Draco, I'm only going to explain this once. He got a hundred letters. They just kept coming and were forced on to him. Dumbledore really wants him to attend the school and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."

"So?"

"So, if a person refuses a Hogwarts letter, normal protocol states that they don't go. It's not mandatory. There are some wizards and witches who refuse their magical inheritance. However, the price is high. I overheard Father talking the other day about a boy in a Muggle orphanage who just refused his Hogwarts letter. Since we can't have untrained witches and wizards walking about, possibly doing wandless magic and harming Muggles, a special group from the Ministry had to be disbatched and his magic drained from him."

"That's horrible!" Draco shuddered. "They can do that?"

"Yes. But this boy was pestered into joining. Dumbledore sent Hagrid to make sure he'd come. Think about that, Draco, he's special."

Draco frowned. "So, what makes him so special when that other boy you heard about was drained?"

"His name is Harry," Silas said. "Maybe, he's Harry Potter?"

Draco thought over this as they left to meet up with his parents. Silas informed them of her impromptu invintation while Narcissa fixed her hair. His parents accepted this, agreeing that it was their duty to help the new wizards adjust to their world.

Lunch at the Leaky Cauldron was not up to the usual standards of the Malfoy family, but since it was Silas's birthday the next day and she had promised Harry, that was where they ate.

"Of course you like it," scoffed Draco. "You're poor. You have no taste."

Silas kicked him under the table. "Keep that up, and I'll see to it that Father fails you."

"A Malfoy doesn't fail," Lucius stated. "It is not in our vocabulary."

"However," said Narcissa, "seeing as how dear Severus is the Potions Master, I do suggest staying on Silas's good side, Draco. Or he might slip something in your food to turn you into a frog."

"Oh, there he is," Silas said suddenly, pointing to the small boy and the giant entering the pub. She waved, motioning for Harry to join them.

The dark-haired boy walked over, a shy apologetic smile on his face. "I'm sorry, but Hagrid wants me to stay with him during lunch."

Draco frowned. "Too bad. How can we tell you all about Quidditch and Hogwarts if you can't join us?"

"How about just until your food arrives," asked Narcissa.

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry. Hagrid insisted. I just wanted to tell you in person."

"My, how polite," said Lucius. "Draco, you can learn a bit from this young man." Draco snarled.

"Oh, here, Harry. You can have these," Silas said as she dug through her bag. She presented him with two books; _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and _Hogwarts: A History_.

Harry took the books, cradling them to his chest as if they were the most precious things in the world. "Thank you, Silas. I'll see you two at Hogwarts."

"One moment, young man," Lucius said. "Before you leave, how about telling us your name?"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. It's Harry. Harry Potter."


	3. On the Train

Chapter Two

The train to Hogwarts was a large scarlet machine, currently crowded by students and parents, all eager for the first day of school. It was a day's train ride from London to Hogwarts, arriving in time for that night's feast.

"Did your father tell you what to expect from the Sorting," asked Draco as he watched Silas struggle with her trunk. He found it rather amusing to see her try to push her luggage in the overhead bin. If she only asked for help, he'd be a gentleman and assist. However, she never asked and he never lifted a finger.

"No, Father hasn't said a word to me. He just smirks and says it's a surprise," Silas grunted. One last heave, she shoved her trunk in the tiny space before turning to Draco. "Some gentleman you are. Sitting there while a lady is in trouble!"

"You're not a lady, Silas."

"Git," Silas swore under her breath.

Changing the subject, Draco asked, "Have you seen Harry. I thought he could sit with us."

Silas sighed, plopping down on the seat across from Draco. "He was waylaid by the Weasleys. Dumbledore had it all planned out. He doesn't want Harry to associate with us."

"You saw this," Draco inquired.

"Not really. I saw the Weasleys, but I overheard Dumbledore last night. Father always makes it a point to have dinner with me the night before he must leave for school. The old man showed up and said he wanted to talk to Father in private."

"_Harry Potter had a very bright future. As you know, Severus, the fate of the world rests in that boy's hands. In order to fulfill his destiny, he will need the help of others. However, your daughter and the Malfoy boy – both destined for Slytherin – will not be the kind of help Harry needs."_

"_Meaning?"_

"_Meaning that Harry is meant for great things. Had James Potter lived, we would have seen a wizard like no other. Silas is like you, Severus. She's good, but not in the level that Harry will be in."_

"Did you hear what was said," Draco asked.

Silas nodded. "It was awful. I can't stand how the old man treats my father. I don't know why Father puts up with it!"

Draco shrugged, but didn't answer. They sat in silence until the door opened and Draco's friends, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, walked in. They were both from pureblooded families, but they were Neanderthals. Thugs of the first degree and they were loyal only to Draco.

Crabbe looked like a gorilla with no neck and hairy arms. Goyle had mall beady eyes and a pudding-bowl haircut. Neither was very powerful, just enough magic to qualify for Hogwarts. Silas had money down that should either of them breed, their kids would be Squibs. Of course, Draco had money down that they would never breed and that Silas was being optimistic.

Silas thought they were annoying. Sweet, but annoying. The two goons sometimes brought her flowers (the dirt still clinging to the roots), boxes of chocolates (half eaten) or watch over her where ever she went, except the toilet. That was off limits.

Truthfully, it was Crabbe who was more loyal to Silas while Goyle was Draco's bodyguard.

It wasn't long after the train departed that the rumor ran down the compartments that Harry Potter was on the train. Everyone, save for Silas and Draco, was excited that the boy hero could be sitting in the compartment next to them. The prefects had a hard time keeping the kids from wandering all over the train to peek in on Harry.

"Should we try to see Harry Potter?" Goyle asked, peering out of the compartment door.

"Not with those prefects being pricks," huffed Silas. "We'd have to either have a good reason for wandering the train or a good diversion."

"Besides, we've already met Harry Potter," drawled Draco. "He was at Diagon Alley when we were shopping."

"What was he like?" Goyle asked.

"Quiet, shy, not at all how I'd picture the hero of our world to look like," Draco said. "He was dressed like a Muggle, really ratty and poor. I thought he was a Mudblood, at first."

"Uncle Lucius and Aunt Cissa thought he could use a good scrubbing, but his manners were nice," said Silas. "I personally place the blame on those Muggle relatives of his. He did say they don't like magic and that he had no idea about his heritage until that day."

Goyle's face scrunched up as he tried to think. "How can anyone not like magic?"

"Muggles don't," Silas said. "That's why we have to hide ourselves from them. If they ever found out about us, it would only cause a hunt because Muggles hate and fear what they don't understand."

"That's also why Mudbloods are dangerous," said Draco. "They can live in both worlds, they know about magic and Muggles. What's stopping them from telling our secrets."

"Oh, right, I forgot."

At that moment, the compartment door opened and a bushy-haired girl stuck her head inside. "Hey, have any of you seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost his."

"No, we haven't," said Draco.

The girl left and Silas smiled. "That's it, we can pretend to be looking for a lost pet."

"But, a toad, Silas? What kind of poor idiot brings a toad to Hogwarts," Draco huffed.

"We can say my cat got loose," Silas said. "Now, come on."

"But, you don't have a cat," Crabbe said.

"Just keep quiet and follow me," Silas said and they left.

Once they made it to the compartment, Silas took a moment to make sure they were presentable. She was the undisputed mother of them all, the lady who was their grace and style. Crabbe and Goyle got into position behind Silas and Draco before Draco opened the door.

"We heard Harry Potter was in this compartment," Draco announced, his voice filled with self importance.

"Hi Draco," greeted Harry. "Hi Silas. Thanks for those books. I really enjoyed them."

Silas smiled and said sweetly, "I'm glad you liked them, Harry. They were really supposed to be Draco's birthday gift."

"They what! Hey!" Draco glared at her while Harry hid his grin. Somewhere behind them, Crabbe snickered

"Who are your friends," asked Harry, his bright green eyes on the burly boys.

In a bored tone, Draco said, "This is Crabbe and this is Goyle."

"Say hi, boys," Silas said.

"Hello Harry," Crabbe said obediently. Goyle merely grunted.

"Not much of a talker, huh," asked Harry.

Silas grinned, planting herself in the seat next to Harry. "Don't mind them. They decided at a young age to be our personal thugs, and they take their job seriously. Apparently, hired muscle doesn't talk."

Harry smiled before turning to the boy sitting in the compartment with him. For the first time, Silas acknoledged the presence of another. The boy was obviously a Weasley with is orange-red hair, shabby clothes and dirty face. She had heard all sorts of stories about his older brothers, including the infamous twins and their pranks. They were merely the lastest in a long line of blood traitors to darken her father's classroom

"Ron, I'd lke you meet some friends of mine," Harry said. "This is Draco Malfoy -"

And that was as far as he got because Weasley gave a snort that could have been an attempt to hide his laughter or a snort of disgust. Knowing the feud between the Weasleys and the Malfoys, it was very possibly the latter.

"No need to tell me who he is, Harry," Draco sneered. "I know all about him and his family. Red hair, hand-me-down clothes, no power or money to speak of – he's a Weasley."

This seemed to shut the Weasel up as he sat back and go very red in the face. He concentrated on the very unhealthy looking rat in his lap. Silas figured that the poor animal should be condemned; it had half it's fur missing, not to mention one toe on its paw. It was most defenitly a hand-me-down pet. Only thing worse would have been a toad.

"You should be careful of whom you hang out with, Harry," Draco warned. "Not every wizard is equal. You should stick with me. I can help you stay away from the riff-raff."

This time it was Harry who turned pink. He looked at Draco – who held out his hand – and back to the down-trodden Weasley. Silas could see the battle waging in Harry's mind and knew she had to act. She'd never forgive herself if she lost the opportunity to befriend the Savior of the Wizarding world.

"There you go again, Draco my love, forgetting your manners," she said. She placed an arm around Harry's shoulders and whispered, "I swear, he'd forget his own name if his mom hadn't sewn it in to his underwear."

"Silas!"

"What Draco was trying to say – and failing miserably, I might add – is that you have to be careful of the reasons why people want to be friends with you, my darling Harry. With your reputation against You-Know-Who, there are some who would want to only be your friend for the fame you will bring them. Draco is merely concerned, as am I, that these people will take advantage of you."

"I think I can figure these sort out for myself," Harry said, his eyes darting to Ron. Silas could still see that he wanted the blood traitor as a friend.

Licking her lips, she said, "We know you can, Harry. Both Draco and I already have our own infamy, we don't need to catch any of your rays. We want to be your friends because of who you are, that sweet boy we met in Diagon Alley. Stick with us, Harry, we'll never lead you astray. Loyalty is a trait we admire."

Weasley did laugh this time. "Loyalty is not a trait of the Malfoy family. Lies and deceit! Slytherin, through and through!"

"Ron!"

"I would watch myself, Weasley," Draco threatened. "We wouldn't want you ending up on the wrong side of a curse."

"Draco!"

Weasley jumped up, his wand pointed at Draco. Draco had his wand out and was pointing it at Weasley. Hands down, Silas knew that Draco would win against that filthy blood traiter, but it was the panic on Harry's face that stopped her from cheering her friend on.

"Now, boys, wands away," Silas purred, stepping between them. Draco reluctantly put his wand away, but Weasley was a little slower to comply. He now had his wand trained on Silas, not caring that she stood between him and his enemy. Harry had to reach over and force the wand down.

Silas motioned for Draco, Crabbe and Goyle to leave. She followed them after giving Harry a quick kiss on the cheek.

"See you at Hogwarts, Harry."

Walking back to the compartment, she smiled. She was confident that Harry would count them as friends and that she and Draco could bend him to their will. There was no way she'd allow him to fall into Dumbledore's hands. Not in Harry's level, huh? Well, she'd show him.


	4. Hogwarts

Ch. 03

When the train pulled into Hogwarts Station, the First Years were led away to the boats by the large and hairy Hagrid. Silas tried to look for Harry, but could see that he was being personally escorted to a boat by Hagrid and Weasley. She knew that Dumbledore must have had his hand in this, convincing Hagrid to keep Harry from any bad influences.

Silas sat with Crabbe and a boy named Blaise Zambini. Since it was three to a boat, Draco and Goyle were trapped with Pansy Parkinson. Both Parkinson and Zambini were well acquainted with the Malfoy family (and, thus, known to Silas as well). Blaise's mother was a well-known beauty who collected husbands as one might Chocolate Frog cards. Each died mysteriously, leaving her nearly as wealthy as the Malfoys. Blaise took after his mother with is dark, exotic looks and an eye for the expensive.

Pansy Parkinson's family had been friends with the Malfoy's for generations. Silas even knew that the Parkinsons and the Malfoy's served with the Dark Lord in the Great War. Their continuing friendship was under the ruse that Alrich Parkinson had gone to school with Lucius Malfoy, but Silas knew the real reason why Parkinson continued to cling to the Malfoy coat tails. They were hoping to marry off Pansy to Draco.

This greatly annoyed Silas. For as much as Narcissa dotted on her and Lucius called her the daughter he never had, she knew they'd throw her away in a heartbeat to have Draco marry into an influencial family. The Parkinsons had more money then the Snapes and did not have the looming cloud of a silly Death Eater trial or being stuck in Dumbledore's back pocket to mar their good name. Silas had once entertained the thought of being an official Malfoy, of marrying Draco and gaining the life she was slowly becoming accustomed. However, her dreams were shattered when her father explained that Lucius intended to present the betrothal papers to Draco with the name of that pug-faced hag. Silas had cried for a week.

Hogwarts was a huge castle and several of the students gasped as they got their first glimpse of their home away from home. Silas wondered if she'd be that impressed if she was just seeing Hogwarts for the first time. However, living in Hogsmead, the village next to the school, she felt it had lost all it's splender for her and was just another building.

Hagrid helped everyone out of their boats and ushered them to the front doors. A female professor who introduced herself as Professor Minerva Mcgonagall, welcomed them with a stern look and very straight-forward speech. She looked down over them with her steely eyes and square-rimmed spectacles, her wirey body clad in plain robes. The only form of whimsy about her was a tartan that drapped her shoulders and was clasped in a pin that depicted the crest of Gryffindor House.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. In a moment, you will be Sorted into your houses," she said, glaring down at all of them. "Your House will be your family for the next seven years. Your failures are their failures, your triumphs, their triumphs. You can gain points for your House through good behavior, but to disobey the rules will lose your House points. The House with the most points wins the House cup. Remember that."

"How are we going to be Sorted," asked Harry, leaning close to Silas.

"My brothers said we had to wrestle a troll," Weasley said, tugging on Harry's arm.

Silas rolled her eyes. "No, I'd know if it was a troll. That's too dangerous. It's probably some kind of magical test."

Harry looked worried. "I don't know any magic."

"It can't be too hard," muttered Draco. "Even Mudbloods get Sorted."

"Even what," asked Harry but Silas had jammed her boney elbow deep into Draco's gut and he couldn't answer.

"He said, even kids who never heard of magic make it in," Silas said. Weasley narrowed his eyes and she was sure he had heard what Draco really said.

At that moment, McGonagall opened the doors and everyone walked into the Great Hall. It was intimidating, being ushered into the room with all their peers sitting at four long tables, turning to watch the newbies as they filed past.

"Wait here," McGonagall said and walked up to the front of the room. There was a stool with a large, battered hat perched on top.

"What is that ratty thing," muttered Draco. "Nasty if you ask me."

There was a loud gasp as the seam of the hat split open to form a mouth. It spoke, reciting a silly rhyme about the four Houses and their founders. It introduced itself as the Sorting Hat. Silas groaned as she realized that the objective to being Sorted was to wear the hat.

"When I call your name, please come up and sit on the stool. When your House is announced, go and sit with your new classmates," said McGonagall as she unfurled a length of parchment.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A mousy little girl slowly walked up to the stool. When she sat down, McGonagall placed that disgusting excuse for a magical item on the girl's head.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"This doesn't seem so bad," Silas whispered, winding her hand around Harry's arm. "A lot easier then I thought it's be."

"I can't believe my brothers had me believing we had to wrestle a troll," moaned Weasley.

Draco snorted in Silas's ear. "I can't believe that idiot believed we had to wrestle a troll, too. What a moron."

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Crabbe, Vincent!"

"Good luck, Crabbe," Silas said.

"See you in Slytherin, Silas."

Silas watched happily from Harry's side as everyone was Sorted. She let her eyes wander to the teacher's table to where her father was sitting. She smiled as she spied his straight form, proud in how her father carried himself. She knew it stung that he had been passed over for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts in favor of some studdering moron that had decided to return from his sabatical.

"You look nervous, Silas," Harry breathed in her ear.

"I am. This is a very important step in a young wizard or witche's life. Your House can shape your destiny."

"Oh, how so?"

Silas gave him a sad smile. "Your House can determine how the world views you. Gryffindors are hailed as the heroes of our world. They are brave and can do no wrong. Ravenclaws often find themselves in the fields of research or education, anything that requires intelligence. Hufflepuff is a House that is often found among the healers and helpers of the world."

"What about Slytherin," asked Harry. "I've heard a few people mention that all the witches and wizards who've gone bad have all come from Slytherin."

"There is the problem," said Silas. "The world believes Slytherin to be evil and they ridicule and hate them. However, Slytherin does make up most of the govening body and is filled with the most powerful and influencial families in all the Wizarding world."

"Malfoy, Draco!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"So, my House can actually determine my future?"

"Yes, it can."

"Potter, Harry!"

"Looks like it's my turn," Harry said. He gave Silas a pat on the back and walked up to meet his fate. All around him, students turned in their seats to catch a glimpse of the Boy-Who-Lived. To Silas, he looked as small as he did the day they met, as unsure of himself as anyone. She felt a strange longing to protect him from the snares of those would use him for their own gain.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table burst out into loud cheers as Harry sat with them. The Weasley twins took to dancing around the table and chanting in their joy. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff looked on in amusement, while Slytherin shook their heads in disgust. Silas took a quick glance at the teacher's table and located Dumbledore. The old man looked pleased, his plan on keeping Harry away from the likes of Silas Snape was succeeding.

"We'll see about that," Silas muttered.

"Snape, Silas!"

Squaring her shoulders, Silas walked up to the stool. A plan to thwart Dumbledore swimming in her mind and she was resolved to keep Harry from being the old man's mindless drone. From the table, she could see her father, a slight look of pride on his face. Oh, how she hated the thought of how disappointed he'd be if her plan is a success.

_My, my, what do we have here? Little Silas Snape, hmmm? What an interesting mind you have._

"Please, hear me out before you Sort me," Silas whispered, her lips barely moving. "I have a request of you."

_I already know of this request. I can see it all so clearly in your mind._

Silas felt her heart drop until the hat whispered, _I'm inclined to agree with you._

"If you do what I want, I will owe you a favor."

_Tut, tut, Silas. Your father would be displeased to know that you're making deals without knowing the price._

"What is the price?"

_My freedom. Free me from this prison and I will grant your wish._

"I promise to free you. Please, help me so I can help you."

_Sweet Silas, self-sacrificing little Snape. You do know of what you seek?_

"I do."

_And you promise with your very life's blood to free me?_

"I do."

_Very well. We have a deal._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Silas stood on shaky legs, placing the had back on the stool. Everyone was quiet as she made her way to the Gryffindor table. There was no fanfare, no clapping for Silas Snape.

"WHAT!" Silas turned as the one angered word vibrated through the Great Hall. Her father was standing at the teacher's table, his dark eyes on her. He was angry – no, betrayed – knowing that something had gone wrong. His slender frame shook and it took two professors to help him to sit back down. Silas waited until he was slightly calmer before walking to her new table. She felt like crying and couldn't bare to watch as he placed his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he came to terms with what had just happened.

"Hey Silas," Harry whispered as she sat next to him. "Welcome to Gryffindor." He put his arm around her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. She couldn't stop shivering, torn between wanting to cry or laugh.

She looked over at the teacher's table to see that her father had composed himself and was now scowling in her direction. She choked back on a sob as she remembered the pride in his voice when he told her that he expected her to be in Slytherin. Uncle Lucius and Aunt Cissa were also counting on her. Suddenly, her brilliant plan didn't seem so well thought out. She had let everyone down. She was a reckless, brainless Gryffindor for the rest of her life.

The only thing that kept her anchored was Harry's hand on her back. She had done this to make him into her own soldier against Dumbledore, but she had a feeling that he was making her a friend. She was brought out of her spiral of despair by the appearance of food. She realized then that the Sorting was over and she had sat dazed through the old man's "words of wisdom."

"Silas, you have to eat," Harry said. He pushed a plate of chicken wings her way and even went as far as to wave one under her nose. The aroma was tempting and made her mouth water.

"Only if you do," Silas said. "You, my darling Harry, are far too skinny."

Harry smiled. "So says the pale skeleton next to me."

Silas helped herself to some food, ignorning the glares that were sent her way. Her own House didn't want her, her father was angry, her best friend was betrayed and she could feel the old man's wrath. None of them understood what she had done, the sacrifice she had to make. She had willingly entered Hell.

The Weasley twins leaned across the table, careful to not put their elbows in any container of food. Identical quizical faces studied her for a moment before one asked, "Your name is Snape, right?"

"I am."

"As in, Professor Snape?"

"Yes. We are related."

One of the twins got closer to Silas. "How? Cousin? Niece?" His voice dropped lower. "Potions experiment, perhaps?"

Silas smiled and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Daughter."

He jerked back and turned to his twin. While no words were spoken, Silas knew that they had communicated her message. They were shocked as the thought of the most hated teacher in all of Hogwarts history having a family.

"Well, that would explain his reaction," one twin said. "Imagine, the daughter of Snape is a Gryffindor. He must be livid."

"Father isn't happy, but he'll learn to get over it," Silas said. She made a resolve to find out which twin was which. It was annoying not knowing with whom she was speaking.

"I knew Professor Snape had a daughter," a quiet round little boy commented. Silas remembered that he was Sorted just before Draco. What was his name again?

"How did you know," asked one of the twins.

The boy looked over at Silas and then back to the twins and shrugged. "I remember my Gram mentioning it once. She had gotten a letter from Professor Snape one year and she was so angry. She burned the letter and said that he and his daughter were dead to her."

Silas frowned. "What's your name?"

"Neville Longbottom."

Silas took a shaky breathe. Longbottom had been the name of her mother. She never knew her mom had family still alive! Her father had told her that all her relatives had died in the attack that left her scarred.

"What did Snape want with your Gram," asked one of the twins.

Neville shrugged again. "I don't know. I never found out and if I asked, she got mad."

"I know my mom's name was Longbottom," Silas said. "I just never knew I had any relatives left."

Neville offered her a small smile. "Maybe she'll change her mind of you since you're now in Gryffindor?"

Silas looked down at her food. While a part of her was elated to find out that she had relatives alive, she was angered that her father had kept it a secret and that this Grandmother Longbottom hadn't ever bothered to contact her. While Neville seemed sweet, he was obviously weak and that was a trait she wanted no part of.

Suddenly, Harry gasped in pain. His hand clamped over his scar. Silas turned to see what was wrong, as did several of those around him.

"Are you hurt?" Silas asked.

"It's nothing. It's just – Silas, is that really your father by Professor Quirrell?"

Before Silas could answer, Percy Weasley spoke up. "Oh, met Quirrell have you? Yes, that's Professor Snape by Quirrell. No wonder he looks so nervous. Everyone knows that Snape is after his job."

"He deserves that job," Silas muttered. "He's applied every year."

Harry frowned slightly, thinking back to when he met Quirrell. "Your father wants to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Yes. He's really good at it," Silas said. "He taught me everything I know."

One of the twins said, "Snape teaches Potions and is Head of Slytherin. He favors his House and always finds an excuse to take points from the other Houses. Especially Gryffindor."

Silas raised one slender eyebrow. "Oh, I suppose it was just his sour nature to take points when you two caused the Slytherin Keeper's hair to sprout flowers and then released a horde of bees last year?"

The other twin nodded and gave Silas a look that clearly said, 'Duh'.

"He certainly seems to be even angrier tonight then normal," commented Percy. "Your Sorting – Sirius, was it – seemed have given him a fright."

"My name is Silas and of course my Sorting gave him a fright. We always thought I'd be in Slytherin, just like he was. Or, at worse, in Ravenclaw like my mother." Silas looked at the pompous redhead and sneered, "And since you brought it up, why shouldn't my father want the position of DADA? He was promised that post when he was first hired on and is a very capable teacher well versed in both Potions and Dark Arts."

It was true. Snape had been promised if he served one year as the replacement for Slughorn, who was retiring, then Dumbledore would let him take over the DADA post the next year. But that was pushed back to the year after that. And the year after that. And the year after that! After five years of teaching, Snape had gotten offers from around the world to work at other schools, the competion for teachers was high. However, each time Dumbledore found out, the old man would find some way of scaring Snape into staying at Hogwarts. Soon, the offers stopped coming.

Percy refused to answer. Dinner ended and the First Years were led up to their new dorm. Silas could barely sleep that night, knowing that she'd have a lot of explaining to do to those of whom she had betrayed.


	5. Classes

Ch. 04

"Is that him?"

"Yeah, the boy with the glasses, next to that girl with greasy hair."

"Is it true she's a Snape?"

"A Snape in Gryffindor?"

Silas rolled her eyes as she walked next to Harry that morning down to breakfast. All around them, students whispered and pointed, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous Harry Potter.

"I wish they'd shut up," she muttered. "Or at least try to be more secretive about it."

"I guess no one thought you'd be in Gryffindor," Harry said. He, like Silas, was uncomfortable with all the attention.

"No one knew I existed. When you meet my father, you'll understand why no one thought any woman would ever love him."

Harry shrugged. "He can't be all that bad. You turned out great."

"Thanks, Harry."

"You're welcome."

Silas hated Gryffindor Tower. It was the worst place on earth. Whoever decided on the overall layout should be dragged out into the street and have the Avada Kadeva placed on them. The whole tower spoke of bad fashion from it's mismached rugs and weather-beaten chairs to the ugly squishy sofas in front of the fireplace. Not one piece of furniture matched and looked as if a blind man had set the room up.

The beds in the dorms weren't any better. Gaudy red velvet curtins and prancing lions decorated the bedrooms and the mattresses were too hard for Silas to be comfortable. The entire tower was an interior decorator's worst nightmare.

"Harry, sit with us," Weasley said, pushing Silas aside. He guided Harry to where the twins were sitting at the Gryffindor breakfast table.

"Morning, Silas," one of the twins – Fred – said. He waved the girl over, ignoring his youngest brother's snort of disgust.

"Sleep well, Silas?" asked George.

"As well as could be expected," Silas said. She gave the twins a long look. "Should I be worried that the two of you are grinning?"

"Of course not, Silas," said Fred.

"Why would you think that," asked George.

Silas humphed and started eating her breakfast. She and Harry looked over their schedule for the year and was relieved that she wouldn't have to face her father until Friday.

"Uh, Silas, I think you should look in a mirror," Harry said suddenly.

Silas looked up, alarmed. "Why?" She noticed that the twins were trying to appear innocent and was immedietly suspicious. She pulled out a small handheld mirror from her robes and took a look at the damage.

"Gryffindor rules," she muttered, seeing the bright maroon and gold lettering on her cheek. Her hair was now colored to match. Great, the twins turned her into a mascot.

"Hey, Snape, nice hair!"

Silas looked up to see a large, trollish Slytherin boy standing behind her. She recognized him as Marcus Flint, the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. She frowned slightly as he snickered, a small group of older Slytherins stood behind him equally enjoying the show.

"So glad you approve, Flint," Silas said, primping her hair. "Would you like the same style?" She held up her wand and waved it slightly.

Flint held up his hands and sneered, "Don't even try it, Snape, or we'll see to it that your House has so many points taken off that you'll start in the negatives."

"It'd be well worth it to see you prancing around in red and gold," Silas said. "Maybe I should also change your clothes as well?"

Flint and his cronies sneered at her, but they left for their first class. When they were gone, she turned to the twins.

"This will go away, won't it?"

"Why ask us," Fred protested. "We're innocent."

"You two weren't innocent the day you were born," Silas said as she gathered her things. "Either despell it tonight or tomorrow morning, I don't care. I do demand that you get rid of this before Friday or I'll exercise my rights as the daughter of the Potions Master and poison the both of you."

Fred smiled. "By Friday it is, then."

"Earlier then that would be nice," Silas said, but she knew it was no use. She wouldn't be back to normal until Friday. As long as she didn't have to sit in her father's class with "Gryffindor Rules" glittering on her cheek, she'd be fine.

It took sheer luck to find all of their classes. The staircases moved on their own, sometimes connecting to one floor, other times moving to connect to another floor. Portraits weren't very helpful and the doors had to be sweet-talked into opening. Silas, being the only one of them who ever spent any time in Hogwarts before now, was the one who lead Harry around so he didn't get lost.

They had Herbology with Professor Sprout, a dumpy woman with a face like a rotten pumpkin. All leathery lines and drooping wrinkles, she only looked human when she smiled. Herbology was one of the double classes, one shared with another House. In this case, it was with Hufflepuff.

History of Magic with Professor Binns should have been interesting, but a combination of the warm room and Binns's droning soon put everyone to sleep. Binns was a ghost who used to teach for Hogwarts. School legend has it, he went to sleep in the teacher's lounge and woke up dead. Not realizing his sudden transformation, he continued to teach. In fact, it was doubtful that the ghost even realized he was a ghost.

Charms was taught by the tiny Professor Flintwick. Flintwick was head of Ravenclaw House, and Silas thought he was an all right teacher. She remembered him on her few forays to the school growing up, letting her help him decorate the trees on Christmas. He seemed surprised to have Harry in his class, though one would think he had been paying attention on the first day.

McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, taught Tranfiguration. She was stern and took no nonsense from her class, a mixture of Gryffindor and Slytherin. Much to Silas's dismay, McGonagall didn't find her new look at all funny and threatened to give her detention if she showed up like that again. Luckily, this was Thrusday and Silas knew the twins would remove the spell by breakfast the next day. Defense Against the Dark Arts (a class they took with Ravenclaw) was taught by Quirrell and his stuttering was so bad that none of them knew what he was saying.

"His room smells too," Harry complained. "It gave me a headache."

"I heard he double-crossed a vampire and is using the garlic to hide," Silas said. "He probably has it stuffed in his turban."

"I can see why garlic will keep a vampire away. I want to stay away from him," Harry muttered, rubbing his scar.

"We have Potions tomorrow, Harry," Silas reminded him. "If I were you, I'd read your potions book tonight."

Weasley scoffed as he pushed his way between the two of them. "Professor Snape hates Gryffindor. He always favors his house. What good will it do to read the text book before class? He'll take points off no matter what we say or do."

Silas gave the redhead a scathing look worthy of her father. "Because, you twit," she said slowly, "it'll show him that Gryffindors can try hard, too. Going in and blanking like an idiot if you're asked a question will not put us in a favorable light. I happen to want to win the House Cup, so the less points

we can get taken off from my father, the better."

"Will he really ask questions from the book on the first day," asked Harry. "None of the other teachers did that."

"Of course he would. His pop quizes are famous around here. And you can bet that Father is going to single you out for his torture."

Harry looked confused. "Why?"

Silas bit her lip, wondering how much she should tell Harry. It was no secret that Severus Snape and James Potter hated each other. It was no secret that Harry Potter was the savior of the Wizarding world, and thus 'entitled' to pampering. It was a secret, however, that Dumbledore dotted on the boy and Silas knew of how the old man's dotting had nearly caused her father's death in his student days. All she could do was shake her head and let the subject drop.

Instead, she said, "Father is just that way. He'll pick on you, but he'll also pick on me. I know I can hold my own against him."

"You'd go against your father for us?" Fred asked as he and George slumped against the wall behind them. "About wanting Gryffindor to win the House Cup?"

"Of course," Silas said. "It just wouldn't do if my House kept losing. I might as well make the best of it."

She handed the text book to Harry, who obediently read it. The Weasley made a noise of disgust, but his brothers seemed to think that Silas was on to something. She smiled to herself, already measuring up the Weasley family. Ron was a lost cause, but she saw some promise in the twins and that pompous idiot, Percy. She may be stuck here to protect Harry, but that didn't mean she should have to suffer.

The next day, they made their way to the dungeons. Silas quizzed Harry on various potions and facts from the first chapter, occasionally curling a strand of her now brown hair around a finger. If she knew her father as well as she thought she did, he would not waste any time in punishing Gryffindor or herself for this betrayal, and having to see her for nearly every night with the twins' little welcome prank had only made him angrier. She knew she could hold her own against him, but someone like Harry would need guidance.

"Silas, a word if you don't mind," Draco's voice rang out. Silas turned, almost forgetting that this was a double class with Slytherin. Oh, lucky her. It looked as though Draco was ready to talk to her again. He had ignored her in Transfiguration.

Bravely, she walked over to him and was immediately surrounded by Draco and the goons. A part of her missed this, including the way poor Crabbe hovered by her shoulder. Crabbe and Goyle made sure that no one was close enough to hear their conversation.

"I need to know what happened, Silas," Draco whispered. "Why are you in Gryffindor when you are so clearly Slytherin?"

Silas smiled. "I'm so Slytherin, I convinced the hat to put me in Gryffindor."

"Why would you do that," asked Crabbe. He looked so sad that Silas almost felt a pang of guilt. "I thought we'd always be together, Silas."

"I told Draco that I overheard the Headmaster talking to my father. Well, part of it was about Harry, and the old man made it sound like the boy had some kind of destiny that he would mold. I don't trust the old man, and I think he's trying to rule Potter's life, just like he is with my father. I couldn't let someone that innocent or powerful just be handed to Dumbledore."

"So, you got put in Gryffindor to protect him?" Goyle asked. Guess he wasn't as slow on the uptake as Silas always thought.

"Exactly. Harry values me as a friend, and I'd hate to see him lose your guiding influence as well, Draco. Being in Gryffindor doesn't mean he's Dumbledore's puppet. We have the opportunity to make him one of us."

"He's a Half-Blood and the one that destroyed the Dark Lord," Draco muttered darkly.

"No one knows how he survived that night, my dear Draco. I think the old man might know something, and I intend to find out what."

Draco frowned. "If Potter has some kind of ability that helped him defeat the Dark Lord, why would Dumbledore need it now? The Dark Lord is gone. That power is only wasting away."

Silas smiled and tweaked Draco's nose. "And think of that power in our hands and not Dumbledore's. Harry is sweet, you'll see."

"What do I get if I lower myself to be the friend of a Gryffindor," Draco asked.

"Draco, my darling Draco, you're not lowering yourself to be friends with Gryffindors. Oh, no, you're gaining a Snape and the Savior as your allies. I'm sure your father would be pleased to know how well you're handling this. Give the boy a chance."

"Only for you, Silas."

With that, she walked back to Harry, who lazily asked what Draco wanted. "Just wondering how I got stuck in Gryffindor," she said honestly. "I told them that it was the hat's decision."

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Harry said. "It's nice to have a friend."

Just the opening that she was hoping for. Over the protests of the Weasel, she said, "Draco was so disappointed when you were put into Gryffindor as well. I'm sure he'd still be your friend. After all, we both think this rivalry between houses is childish."

Harry perked up at that. He peered down the line to Draco and the blond boy offered him a small, tight smile. Harry grinned like a fool before turning to Silas and finishing their review. Silas couldn't keep the smile from her face. Yes, she would save Harry from the clutches of the old man. No one manipulates a Snape and gets away with it.

When class began, Snape swept into the classroom, his black robes billowing out behind him. Her father was a fascinating man, one who captivated the class without having to do anything flashy. He was not the most handsome of men, even Silas, who worshipped the ground he stalked on, knew this. Greasy hair that hung limply to his shoulders from hours of bending over steaming cauldron, pale skin

from little sun and a large hooked nose. His dark eyes glittered coldly as he surveyed his class, his thin lips curled up in a sneer that Silas could only dream of imitating.

"There will be no foolish wand waving in this class. No spells to help you or incantations to give your potions a boost. Potions is a precise art, a subtle science that many wizards have a hard time grasping. It is the oldest form of magic, older then any of those spells you will learn, for it has been around

since the very beginning of time." Snape's quiet voice held their attention, much more hypnotic then anything they had encountered before. "For the select few of you who can grasp this delicate art, I can teach you to bottle glory, brew fame and put a stopper in death. So long as you are not as big a bunch of dunderheads that I normally teach!"

Snape's beetle black eyes swept over the room, resting on Harry. Silas bit the inside of her lip, knowing it would come to this. Harry would feel her father's wrath for the sins of others. A part of her was glad that Harry would bear the brunt of her father's anger as it would keep him from noticing her just yet.

"Well, well, Mr. Potter. Hogwart's newest celebrity. Tell me, Mr. Potter, what would you have if I handed you a bottle of powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked down for a moment. Silas knew this answer, and she knew that he knew it. It was in the first chapter, first paragraph of all things!

"The Draught of Living Death, sir?"

"Is that a question or an answer, Mr. Potter?"

"Answer, sir. If I have a bottle of powdered root of asphodel and added in an infusion of wormwood, I'd have the Draught of Living Death."

"And, Mr. Potter, what does the Draught of Living Death do?"

"It puts one in a sleep so deep that they are like one dead, like a coma."

Snape's eyebrows inched higher on his forehead, the only sign he was surprised. "Very good, Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled and watched as Snape turned to Silas.

"Miss Snape, where would you look if I told you find a bezoar?"

Silas smiled brightly. "In the stomach of a goat, sir."

"How is a bezoar formed and what does it do?"

Silas knew that this was not in the first chapter of the text book. Her father knew she could answer this easily. After all, she had potions and the Dark Arts drilled in her head from the moment she was born.

"A bezoar is formed when a goat is fed a mixture of poisonous herbs, such as hemlock and nightshade, mixed with the blood of a phoenix. This forms a rock in the stomach, which is used as an antidote for all poisons."

"Correct. And how is a bezoar normally used?"

Silas smiled sweetly. "It's ground up into a powder and added to a drink, any drink will do." _Or shove it down their throat._

"Very good. Two points to Gryffindor for both of you."

Silas held back her sigh of relief. Her father was not so evil that he'd hurt her now. She watched as he went around the room, randomly asking questions of students. In the end, Slytherin did answer more then Gryffindor, but that was only because Silas had a feeling they had been forewarned of the quiz. Only she and Harry had answered correctly thanks to her insisting they read the text book. She could see Weasley with his head nearly to his desk as her father chastised the class for not being prepared.

Their first assignment was a simple potion to help cure boils. With only two ingredients, Silas felt like it was child's play. She had been brewing this stuff when she was a toddler and was far more advanced.

However, she should have known her father had a reason to start them off with something so boringly easy. The scent of burning rubber reached her nose as Neville Longbottom's cauldron melted and his hands blistered up.

"Idiot boy! How can you mess this up?" Snape demanded. "Don't stand there, wash that off and go to Madam Pomfrey."

Snape then turned to Silas and Harry, who had their cauldron near by. "You," he sneered, pointing one long, pale finger at Silas, "stay after class and clean this mess up."

Silas merely quirked one dark eyebrow, but she didn't argue. She had a feeling that she knew why her father wanted to speak to her.

Sure enough, after class, Snape waited until the doors were shut before rounding out on Silas. She barely had time to move before his hand lashed out and slapped her across the face. The force sent her hunched over the desk, her cheek and scar burning.

"What the hell were you thinking? Gryffindor!"

"Father, it's not what you think."

"Oh, it's exactly what I think! Slytherin! You were supposed to be in Slytherin. I could have forgiven you for Ravenclaw, but why did you have to get Gryffindor! Where could I have gone so horribly wrong?"

"I can explain! Please!"

"Explain yourself, then. I did not raise my daughter to be in Gryffindor. Only thing worse would have been Hufflepuff!"

Silas cowered slightly as her father loomed over her. This was the first time in her memory that he had ever struck her. "I overheard the Headmaster the night before I left for Hogwarts. I hate how he treats you and I knew that he had something planned for Potter. I don't want that idiot to win, so I decided to stick by Potter and keep him from Dumbledore."

"You overheard that?"

Silas nodded. "I did. I've heard him treat you like that before. I never trusted him and I am not about to start. Father, he treats you horribly and keeps you here like a prisoner. I can't stand it! And when you're not around, he sometimes says things to me, little threats about what will happen when you're in

Azkaban."

"This is no concern of yours. He saved your life as a baby, he saved my life. I owe him." Snape said quietly though Silas could see her father struggled to get those words out. "He wasn't threatening you. He has no reason to."

"And he has reason to threaten you, Father?"

Snape struggled with what he was trying to say. "He has information on me that could mean my life. We both know it."

"A Snape is beholden to no man, Father. He's using you," Silas wrapped her arms around her father's slender frame. "I don't like seeing you hurt. This is how I can keep him from winning."

Snape held on to her as she started to cry. Weakness was not normally tolerated, but he didn't push her away. Instead, he held her closer, comforting his only child. She was still as fragile as the day she was born.

Snape took a deep breath, looking down at his daughter. "You got yourself placed in Gryffindor to keep Potter away from Dumbledore?"

"Yes, I did. I used all my Slytherin cunning to keep myself close to him. The Dark Lord may be gone, but that old man knows something. He wants Potter here for more then just his 'savior status.' I am not so stupid as to just let that happen."

"He'll be just like his father, Silas. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know Harry is on the edge right now, scared of his own powers and knows nothing of our world. One push the wrong way, and you'll have another James Potter on your hands. One in the right direction, and he will be someone even you can be proud of."

Snape smiled, running one large hand through her hair. "My darling daughter, how did you ever get to be so devious? I suppose you have a plan?"

"I do, though not fully formed. I owe the Sorting Hat, though, and will keep that promise. I've been trying to find a way to make Gryffindor more bearable." Silas said. "I think the old man is on to me, but there is nothing he can do. I've outmaneuvered his agents and stormed his defenses."

"Well, this puts me in a bind," Snape muttered, pushing his daughter back so he could see her better. "I want to give you points for your cunning, but I would hate for Gryffindor to win the House Cup." He reached down and cupped her scarred cheek, his cold touch taking the sting and burn from his earlier assult.

Silas smiled, leaning to his touch. "Do not worry about that, Father. I have a feeling that some in my class will give you enough reason to deduct points. And I doubt any other House will feel your sympathy."

Snape leaned down and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Ten points to Gryffindor for sheer cunning and wit."


	6. Flying Lessons

Ch. 05

For the next few days, Silas tried to stay low and keep out of everyone's way. Harry had noticed the red mark left on her cheek from her father's chastisment, but she gave him no explanation. Snape had only hit her because he was worried about her. Wasn't that what parents did?

Silas was greatly amused when, two weeks after school started, she found herself sitting next to the Weasley twins. The twins were hatching a plan against Terence Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker. Higgs had insulted their mother and they were not going to let it slide.

"I think you're doing this all wrong," Silas said, not bothering to look up from her Transfiguration homework. "Not how I'd go about it at all."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked. He sounded as if he was merely curious in what she had to say, but not in taking her advice. "This is the perfect prank."

"Thinking of telling Daddy Dearest about this?" George asked.

Silas rolled her eyes. "No, I won't have to. The both of you are not only well-known pranksters, but you were seen and heard making threats to Higgs after his rude comment. Now, I believe that Higgs is due for some retribution, but I do not relish the idea of my father docking points. And you both know that he will. What you need to do is shift the blame so Gryffindor House doesn't lose any points."

"And how would you suggest we do that? If everyone knows we're the pranksters, then how do we shift the blame," Fred asked.

"Well, for starters, you're planning on using the same prank you pulled on me our first day, right? Change that slightly. Make it look like someone copied your idea."

George frowned. "She does have a point. Using the same prank so close to each other would give us away. We love our pranks, but Snape has been harder on us this year."

"I'll let you in on a secret," Silas said, leaning towards the boys. "I know that Higgs is superstitious and still carries around a good luck charm in his bag. It's crap, really. Some Muggle idea of the feet of bunnies, or something like that. Anyway, put a charm on the item to turn his hair colors, but not Gryffindor colors."

Fred sat back. "A good idea, Silas, but there is a problem. How do we get this lucky what-ever away from him long enough to charm it, and why not use Gryffindor colors. We are in Gryffindor, you know."

Silas reached out and gently tapped Fred on the nose. "So glad you asked. If I were the one pulling this prank, it'd first wait until the Slytherins were practicing Quidditch. Higgs always leaves his bag closest to the door – again, it's part of his superstition. It won't take someone as smart and fast as the two of you to nab the toy hanging from his bag and quickly charm it."

"And the colors?"

"It's well known that you two aren't the only ones that Higgs has annoyed this past week. He and Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff have been fighting all week over some issue that's been brewing since last year. I do believe that Diggory said, in front of witnesses, that he'd make Higgs pay."

Fred smiled. "I see where you're going. Change the colors to Hufflepuff."

"Why are you helping us, Silas. Aren't you a Snape?" George asked. He was far more suspicious then his brother.

Silas picked up her homework. "I want to win, naturally. Besides, you were going to pull this prank anyway, I'm not stopping you. I just don't want to lose any points. I'd hate to see your creativity stifled in detention pickling frog brains."

Fred nodded and he and George quickly discussed how to revise their plan. Silas walked up to her dorm, pleased with herself. Sure, her father would be displeased to learn of her hand in this matter, but she didn't care. She'd win that Cup, even if she had to kill to get it.

The prank went off without a hitch and Diggory was blamed when Higgs suddenly sprouted yellow and black hair and had a small army of flying badgers following him around. Despite Diggory's protests of innocence, he was given detention and Hufflepuff lost twenty-five points. Fred was elated to see the prank work so well, but George still voiced his anger in hiding their identities. Not that it lasted long for the next day they were caught trying to jinx Flint.

The first two weeks of school came and went, only punctuated by some strange news of a break-in at Gringotts, the Wizard's Bank. However, as nothing was stolen, no one paid it much attention after the first article.

Silas, during this time, worked on getting Harry and Draco to talk. Neither boy seemed to know how to be friendly when their houses were constantly at war. Draco would give Harry a nod or a brief wave whenever the dark-haired boy said, "Hello," but there was no conversations. Crabbe and Goyle were stiffly polite to Harry, but would not go out of their way to be his friend. Silas finally got Draco to tell her that he had a plan and that she should just wait it out.

As for Snape, he may have accepted the fact that Silas was in Gryffindor to help Harry, but he never had to like it. He blamed the Golden Hero for his daughter's fall and took his anger out on him in class. His taunts and jeers were always laced with venom, causing Harry to slowly start to hate Potions.

"Father, can't you just ease up on him a tad?" Silas asked during one of her many "detentions". They started using that as an excuse to talk since Silas was not in Slytherin where it would have been easier. Not that it was any easier for Silas since Snape really put her to work.

"Never. That brat is everything that his father was; manipulative, arrogent, petty, lazy."

"Who, Harry? Harry Potter?" Silas snorted from where she was scrubbing the cauldrons.

Snape glared down at his daughter. "Yes, Harry. And you! You're too blind and stupid to see it! I warned you about him! He's sucking you in just as his father had everyone one else fooled!"

Silas sneered, "I am not! If you ease up a bit, you'll find that Harry is quite smart. He tries to love your class. Potions fascinate him. He defends you to the other students even though you treat him like dirt!"

Snape raised his hand to slap Silas and paused when she flinched back. Slowly, he lowered his hand and told her to leave. She ran from the room and didn't stop until she was the tower. Harry was waiting for her and she curled up on the couch with him, her head on his shoulder.

"What happened, Silas?"

"He's being a grouch," she sniffed. "I know his anger isn't really at me, or at you. I tried to talk to him, but he's too mad to listen."

Harry wrapped one arm awkwardly around her thin shoulders. He never had a friend with whom he had to comfort. And Silas never needed to be comforted before.

By the end of the first month, the First Years were allowed to learn how to ride on brooms. Everyone was excited about their upcoming first lesson. Those from wizarding families talked to anyone and everyone about their experiences growing up, trying to top the other person. Even Weasley had a few hair-raising adventures.

"If I have to hear one more time about how he nearly got mowed down by a Muggle helicopter, I'm gonna throw him off the Astronomy Tower," Silas growled, her dark eyes on the redhead as he dramatically told Neville, once again, about his heroic escape. With each telling he got closer and closer to the helicopter, and by now he was relating how he could see the expressions on the Muggles' faces.

"Oh, let him have his fun," Harry laughed. "What about you? I haven't heard any of your stories yet."

Silas blushed. "I wasn't allowed to really fly. Everyone was too scared that my delicate nature wouldn't be able to handle a broom. I had the honor of watching Draco learn how to fly. I only get to do so now because Madam Hooch promised Father that if I desplayed even the tiniest paling of the skin, she'd rush me to the hospital wing."

"So, no close calls with helicopters or airplanes," Harry teased.

Silas smiled and nudged him. "Well, I think I scared a bunch of ducks, once."

Harry laughed and they walked down to the field together. It was a double class with Slytherin, and Silas was pleased. Once they got to the field, Draco waved them over to stand with him. In only the last few days, Draco and Harry had been becoming more friendly with each other.

"So, Harry, how did you do on Flintwick's test?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged. "Ok, I guess. I'm not getting these spells. The pronunciation has to be perfect and I just can't seem to get it."

Draco smiled. "Well, since I got and O, why don't I help you out?"

"Really," Harry beamed. "Thanks Draco!"

Madam Hooch, the flying instructor, looked like a hawk. Her white hair was short and spiky, feathered over strange yellow eyes. Silas was positive she was an Animagus, a wizard who can change into an animal. After all, if an Animagus stays in animal form for too long, that witch or wizard would retain some of the characteristics of the animal.

"All right, class. Stand on the right side of your brooms, hold out your right hand and say UP." Madam Hooch commanded.

Everyone held their hands over their brooms and the class was filled with the kids saying, "UP!" To Silas's surprise and delight, Harry's broom was the first to react. Hers was second, as was Draco's. This clearly proved that they were the three most powerful people in class. Weasley and Neville were last. No surprise there.

"Very good. On my whistle, mount your brooms." Madam Hooch blew the whistle and waited until everyone was on their brooms. "Now, on my whistle, I want you to kick off, hover and come back down."

She blew the whistle and everyone hovered. Well, almost everyone. Neville Longbottom kicked off too hard and away he went. Silas gave a low whistle as her Housemate went zipping around the yard. She winced as he fell to the ground with a sickening crunch.

"I'm taking him to Madam Pomfrey," Madam Hooch declared. "I don't want to see single broom in the air, or you'll find yourself expelled faster then you can say Quidditch! That goes double for you, Silas."

"Well, look at what that fat lump dropped," Pansy Parkinson said. Silas turned to see the Slytherin girl holding up a strange crystal orb that Neville had received that morning. Silas recognized it as a Remembrall, a useless artifact that was supposed to help the user remember things. They never worked.

"Give that back, Parkinson," Silas said. "It doesn't belong to you."

Parkinson sneere. "Now you sound like a Gryffindor, Snape. What ever happened to that Slytherin streak that my darling Draco was so sure you had?"

"My Slytherin streak is right where it always was. However, you're stupidity is showing."

"Do as Silas says and give it back," Harry said, stepping up to Parkinson.

Parkinson sneered. "I don't think so, Potter."

"Pansy, just hand that stupid thing over," Draco said, a warning in his voice.

"I think," Parkinson said, tossing the Remembrall in her hand, "that I'll leave this someplace for Longbottom to find. Like on the roof!"

She jumped on her broom and flew off. "If you want it back that badly, come and get it!"

"I'll get it," said Harry. He hopped on his broom and zoomed after Parkinson. Silas made a move to join him, but Draco stopped her.

"It won't do to have all of us up there," he said. "Pansy is no match for Harry."

"I don't like this," said Silas. She squinted to watch the two figures in the sky circle each other. "Harry's never been on a broom before."

Draco humphed. "I don't know what's gotten into Pansy. She normally so quiet and quite the little follower."

Silas gave a gasp as the two figures parted and Parkinson returned. Harry, however, was now in a dive heading right for the earth! Draco grabbed Silas and turned her around, his eyes on the boy as Harry plummeted to the ground. He pushed Silas's face into his shoulder, hugging her.

"Oh my God!" Draco couldn't believe his eyes as Harry pulled his broom out of the dive at the very last possible second. It was beautiful! Poetry in motion!

"What? What happened?" asked Silas, her face buried in Draco's robes. "How bad is it?"

"He's OK! He did it!"

Silas pushed away from Draco and ran to where Harry was standing. She hugged him tightly and then pushed him - hard.

"Are you out of your mind! You could have been killed!"

Harry stuttered, but was saved by a horrible screech. McGonagall came running out on the field, her steely eyes blazening. Her lips were pressed in a line so thin that Silas thought she'd start bleeding.

"Harry Potter! Of all the – Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" McGonagall grabbed Harry and dragged him away.

"Silas, catch!" Harry yelled and tossed the Remembrall to her as he was unceremoniously hauled away.

"Poor Harry," muttered Draco. "I was just starting to like him."


	7. A Friendly Wager

Ch. 06

Silas did not see Harry until later that evening. She worried that he had been suspended from school, as Madam Hooch had threatened. She felt slightly relieved when she found him the Common Room, working on his Potions essay.

"Well, what happened," she asked sitting next to him.

Harry looked up, his expression warring between pure joy and dreamlike disbelief. While his Potions book was opened, his whole essay was nothing more then a gibberish mess.

"I'm not expelled," he said softly. Then, he smiled and repeated. "I'm not expelled!"

"Well, that's good," Silas said. "What did McGonagall do then? Give you detention? I noticed no points were missing when I passed the Great Hall."

Harry shook is head. "No, you'll never believe what happened. I can't believe what happened."

"What happened, and what did Parkinson say to you up there?"

Harry's smile slipped. "She was surprised that I followed her. She wanted you to follow."

"Draco stopped me. Besides, I've never really been on a broom and my father is over protective. I'd have been expelled and grounded in my house for the remainder of my life," Silas said. "That's all Parkinson said to you? She wanted me to follow?"

Harry nodded. "I do have a message for you, from her. She wants you to stay away from Draco. She said that now that you're in Gryffindor, you have no business with Slytherins and that you are an embarassment to your family. She also said a few nasty things about your father, your bloodline, your mother, and your dog."

"I don't have a dog."

"Well, she threw that one in for good measure, I guess. She also wants me to stay away from Draco, too. Something about not being worthy and being a Half-Blood."

Silas growled. "Ignore her. That pug-faced harlot thinks she can frighten me off with a few mere threats, then she is sadly mistaken. Draco wanted to be your friend, and he has always been mine. These silly Houses won't ruin that!"

At that moment, Weasley came in, expressing his sympathy for Harry and righteous indignation that McGonagall wouldn't listen to him say that it was Parkinson's fault. Silas rolled her eyes as the redhead flopped down on the other side of Harry.

"I'm not punished, Ron," Harry said, cutting the boy off in mid-trirade. "Not even detention. Not even losing points."

"Well, what happened," prodded Silas. "Come on, Harry, tell me.The suspense is killing me."

"I wish," muttered Weasley.

"I'm on the Quidditch team! McGonagall made me Seeker," said Harry. "But, it's a secret, so you can't tell anyone else."

Weasley was amazed. He jumped up an hugged Harry, rattling off some silly nonsense about how Harry was now the youngest person to play Quidditch in all of Hogwarts history. Neither boy notice, in their impromptu celebration, that Silas was silent. Her mind went straight to her father, and she wondered with dread how he'd handle this news.

"Harry, why did McGonagall make you a Seeker," Silas asked softly.

"Because of my catch," Harry explained. "I've got Quidditch in my blood, she said. My father was the Quidditch star for Gryffindor back in his day."

Silas shook her head. "No, I mean, why reward you for breaking the rules. Had it been anyone else caught on the broom, then they would be packing right now. Why did she make you a Seeker?"

Harry frowned, sitting back down next to Silas. "I don't know. Maybe McGonagall is really desperate to win? I know she said that she hasn't been able to look your father in the eye for the past few years."

Well, that's true, Silas thought. Her father had been quite smug in his victories ever since Charlie Weasley had graduated. This was not going to go well.

"Who cares why she made you a Seeker," Weasley crowed. "You're a Seeker, Harry! You get to play Quidditch!"

"And what kind of message does that present!" Silas snapped. "What happens the next time someone disobeys a rule and is expelled. They point out that Harry got special treatment. You can't reward one student for what you'd discipline another."

Weasley glared at her, but the opening of the Common Room door stopped him from retorting. They all turned to see Neville walking in, a letter clutched in his hand. He looked over at Silas and gave her a small smile.

"Oh, there you are, Neville," Silas said. She walked over and handed him back his Remembrall. "You dropped this today."

"I, uh, wrote to my grandmother. I told her that I remembered her receiving a letter from someone named Snape and that I had a classmate named Silas Snape," Neville said softly. "She wouldn't tell me if there was a connection, but my Uncle Algie did. I think you should read this."

He handed her the letter, saying, "I meant to give this to you earlier, but I forgot."

Silas slowly read the letter, her hands trembling the farther she got.

_Dear Neville,_

_My, my, a Snape in Gryffindor? How unusual. I remember Severus Snape quite clearly. I guess you can say he's a family secret. Don't let Augusta know I'm telling you this, but I figure you have a right to know before they spring this on you._

_Severus Snape is your uncle. Well, by marriage. Your father once had a sister, Edna. She married Severus after school and lived with him for only a short period of time. She died, mysteriously, after her daughter was born. A weak little Squib by the name of Silas. Though, I suppose she's not a Squib if she's in school with you._

_Augusta tried to care for little Silas, but she was a sickly baby prone to bad luck. After what happened to your parents, Augusta decided to have nothing to do with that family any more. She only stayed in contact with Severus because of your father._

_She'll tell you that Snapes can't be trusted, that he killed your aunt, but I think the fact that the girl is in Gryffindor might help lead her away from that family's Slytherin influences. Be a friend to her. Lord knows she's probably suffered at the hands of her father. Nasty temper on that one._

_Love,_

_Uncle Algie_

"Cousins? We're cousins?" Silas whispered. She looked up at Neville. He was everything she was not! Small, weak, rounded and shy, fairly powerless and an embarassment to his family. She may not be the most beautiful girl with her greasy hair and large nose, but she was loads better then him magically!

"I know. I mean, I didn't know. No one told me." Neville said.

Silas handed the letter back. "Thank you for telling me."

"What's that about cousins?" Harry asked, walking over.

Neville gave a shy little smile and said, "Silas and I are cousins. My father and her mother were siblings."

"Hey, cool!" Harry grinned. "Must be nice to find out about having family you never knew existed."

"Yes," said Silas. "Very nice."

She and Neville talked about their families after that. She wanted to learn all she could of where her mother had come from. Her father very rarely spoke of her mom, her death still a fresh wound after all these years. Through Neville, she learned about her uncle the way Neville had been raised to see him. Frank Longbottom was appearntly a hero that only the greatness of James Potter could compete with.

Later, when they all walked down for supper, Silas invited Neville to sit with her. She made a mental note to talk to her father later on. She just had to hear what he had to say on the matter.

During supper, Silas watched the teachers' table. Her father was glaring at his meal, his thin lips pulled down in a fierce scowl. His slender hands were trembling as he tried to bury the rage he felt. His cold fury could be felt by all who knew him, though only Silas fully understood the cause. She knew he had been told of Gryffindor's newest player. His scowl and the triumphant look on McGonagall's face confirmed that. No doubt the old bird had already gloated over Harry's skills, hinting that her House would now win the Quidditch cup. There went all of Silas's hopes that her father would start to accept Harry, to make the boy feel welcomed.

Looking down the table, she caught Dumbledore's eye. The old goat raised his goblet to her, his triumphant smile plastered on his ancient face. Had she not been positive before, she was certain now that the old man had some plan for Harry. Was he merely molding the boy into another James Potter? Did he think that by showing special treatment that Harry would do anything he asked?

"Having a last meal, Harry?"

Silas looked up to see Draco standing behind Harry. She was the only one who could tell that the pale blond boy was worried that his Housemate's stunt had cost him the friendship he had just won. They had tried for long enough to get the school used to seeing a Slytherin and a Gryffindor as friends, and now Draco thought that all of their planning was for naught.

"No, but thanks for asking," Harry said, his voice carefull. He was guarded, not knowing if Parkinson had spoken to Draco and if Draco agreed with the Slytherin girl.

"No detention? No House points?"

Harry shook his head. "Nope."

"Lucky bastard," Draco breathed, the relief etched on his face. "How did you manage that?"

"I don't really know, to be honest," Harry said. "Did Parkinson talk to you at all today?"

Draco frowned. "She did. I yelled at her for her stunt. Taunting Longbottom is one thing, but to attack a friend of mine like that is another. She won't bother you again."

Weasley's eyes narrowed. "Harry, why are you being nice to Malfoy. And why did he call you a friend? He's in Slytherin!"

"He's done nothing for me to be mean to him over," Harry said. "We are friends. I told you that the day we met, remember? Being Sorted into different Houses shouldn't mean that friends can't stay friends."

"Besides," said Silas, "being in Slytherin doesn't mean you're evil. It means you have ambition and cunning."

Weasley ignored Silas, leaning towards Harry. "Have you gone mental. What have I told you? There hasn't been a single witch or wizard who's gone bad who hasn't been from Slytherin! Not a one! What does that tell you!"

"You've got a big mouth, Weasley," hissed Draco. "And a very small brain."

"I can think of a Gryffindor who is considered to be Dark," Silas said. "That disproves your theory."

"Oh? And who is it," Harry asked. He leaned forward, wanting to know this dark secret of his House.

Silas smiled. "Sirius Black. They say he was a big supporter for You-Know-Who and even killed hundreds of Muggles before he was caught. He's rotting away in Azkaban as we speak."

"Azkaban?"

"Yes, Harry, Azkaban. It's a Wizard's prison," Draco said.

"A Wizard's prison," Harry murmured. "I didn't know there was one."

Draco frowned. "Well, what did you think we did to our criminals?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno. Turned them into frogs or something?"

Draco laughed and patted Harry on his shoulder. "I'll have to remember that. That's funny."

"How many of your family is in Azkaban, Malfoy. Probably not as many as that deserves to go there," Weasley grumped. He tried saying that under his breath, but everyone heard him anyway.

"What was that, Weasley," Draco asked, his pale face flushed pink with anger. "Mind repeating that like a man instead of hiding like a coward?"

"I said -" Weasley started, but Silas interupted with, "Harry made quite the catch today. I didn't get to see it thanks to Draco, but he said it was amazing."

Confused, Draco turned away from Weasley and back to Harry. "I thought you said it was your first time on a broom."

"It was. I don't know how I managed that catch," Harry said. He had seen what Silas was trying to do and accepted the new shift in the conversation. What he didnt' know was that the teachers had noticed the small group and now McGonagall and Snape were heading in their direction.

"Harry's father used to play Quidditch, so we figure it's in his blood," Silas said. "I remember hearing Aunt Cissa telling us stories about her years at Hogwarts. Remember that, Draco?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah! She was still pretty steamed that Gryffindor always won the Quidditch cup with a Potter playing," Draco said. "I guess next year, you'll have to try out for your team."

"Bet you he gets on the team," Weasley growled. "Bet you he gets on and you don't. He's got pure talent."

Draco sneered in Weasley's direction. "I wasn't talking to you, Weasel."

Silas kept her eyes on the adults, trying to steer the conversation away from dangerous grounds. After all, if the teachers showed up to find Draco and Harry having a polite conversation and Weasley acting like an idiot, then only one person will be in trouble. Granted, that one person was still in her House, but she could live with that.

"Care to make a friendly wager, Draco my dear?" Silas said.

"What kind of wager?"

"Oh, about who will win the Quidditch cup this year. Of course, I think Gryffindor has a shot. What say you?"

"Slytherin, of course. We have won the last two years in a row."

Harry grinned. "Sounds like fun. Mind if I join the wager as well?"

Draco nodded. "Well, we've already got Gryffindor and Slytherin covered. You'll have to pick another House."

"What? Not fair."

Silas laughed. "Harry can have Gryffindor. I'll take Ravenclaw. That was my mother's House."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry said.

"Oh, before I forget," Draco said, "some of the guys and I are starting a Study Group. Care to join, Silas? You can help with Potions."

Silas smiled. "OK. I can use some help with Transfiguration."

"You too, Harry. The more the merrier," Draco said.

"Sure. I need help with a few of my subjects. It's a great idea, Draco."

Draco nodded again as the teachers finally got to the table. Snape silently sized the children up, wondering what was going on. McGonagall was equally confused. They both must have assumed that they would have walked into the middle of a fight, not a friendly little chat.

"If your done socializing, return to your seats," Snape said. "You can save your silly chatter for after supper."

"Of course, Professor," said Draco. "I was merely commenting on Harry's performance today."

Snape sneered, his face twisting momentarily in a mask of pure hatred. "Now that you've commented, get back to your seat!"

Draco scurried back and Snape turned his dark eyes to Harry and Silas. She could feel his anger and knew now was not the time to ask him about her mother. With a glare, Snape stalked off, leaving a very confused McGonagall in his wake.

Looking over at the Slytherin table, she caught Draco's eye. The blond boy smiled and she knew that everything was well on that end. Harry poked her in the arm and started asking about Azkaban and the laws in the Wizarding world. Silas answered his questions, making a mental note to talk to him away from his redheaded sidekick. Someone would have to teach Harry the true ways of Wizards and not this Muggle-loving crap that Dumbledore and the Weasleys were known for.

Even though Draco had accepted Harry, the rest of Slytherin was slow to follow suit. Most just ignored the Gryffindors, and only Parkinson showed open contempt towards Silas and Harry. This suited Silas just fine. Perhaps when Draco was presented with his betrothal papers, he could find a way to use Parkinson's hate to overturn the process, leaving him free for her to marry him.

Once Silas found out that Weasley was using any alone time with Harry to convince him that Slytherins were evil and that the only true way to be a wizard was to follow in Dumbledore's footsteps, she decided to teach Harry herself. It wasn't easy to lure Harry away from Weasley, but she managed.

"So, not all wizards are born equal, magic doesn't always make one a wizard?" Harry asked one day. He was having one of his history lessons with Silas and Draco as they walked from the library to Transfiguration. It was one of the rare times that Silas managed to get Weasley out of the picture, and that was only because Harry didn't want his friends fighting.

"Not at all. Magic actually comes in four stages, depending on your family," Draco said as he handed his books to Goyle. The large bodyguards had offered to carry their belongings, seeing as how they were stronger then the trio. "Purebloods, like myself and Silas, are born in old families and have had magic the longest. Half-Bloods normally only have one pureblood parent, like yourself. They have power, but are not the most powerful. Mudbloods are children from Muggle families who suddenly have power. No one knows why this happens and they are easy to spot, like that Granger girl in Ravenclaw. They try so hard to make up for what they grew up not knowing. Lastly, there are Squibs, non-magical children born in magical families. They are an embarrassment."

"Why would they be an embarrassment?" Harry asked. "It's not their fault they don't have any magic."

"Really Harry," Silas said, ushering them up the stairs, "it's not like it happens often. It means that the magic has gotten weak in that family. Often times, it happens when there is a history of marrying among the Muggles. They sap our magic out of our bloodlines."

"So, if a wizard marries a Muggle, the baby is automatically a Squib?"

"Not really. But if the family has a history of marrying Muggles, then the magic seems to fade and the result is Squibs," Silas said. "No one wants that. Imagine being born into a magical family and then finding out that you will never be able to do what your mother and father, your brother and sister can do. It's the opposite of what you suffered, Harry. Instead of finding out you're special, as you did, you find out that you're almost nothing. Families try to keep Squibs a secret."

"Oh," Harry said. "Well, I still don't think that's fair. It's still not their fault they don't have magic."

"Very true, Harry," said Draco. "Poor Silas here was considered a Squib for most of her life. Even though magic is highly prized in the Wizarding community, she wasn't treated any differently. Though, my mum did throw a huge party when she displayed her first signs of magic."

Harry grinned. "Yeah? Is that a big deal?"

Silas nodded. "It was, though Uncle Lucius wasn't thrilled. I turned his hair a brilliant shade of pink in fit of anger. We just hadn't figured out how to turn it back in time for the party."

Behind them, Crabbe snickered. "I remember that."

Draco gave his friend a wry look. "It wasn't so much as that Silas turned his hair by magic, it was the color of choice. Pink is not very manly. Blue would have been better."

Harry laughed. "I once turned my teacher's wig blue. My uncle grounded me for that, even though I had no idea of what I had done."

"There, see," said Draco. "Had you been in a magical family, it would have been seen as a great day. Muggles don't understand Wizards. It's best if we keep our worlds seperate. The only flaw to that plan is Mudbloods."

Harry looked confused. "So, what makes a Mudblood, again?"

Draco shrugged. "No one knows. They just pop up randomly. Some Muggle family is going by its daily life when WHAM, one of them winds up magical."

Harry looked like he was about to ask another question when the stairs moved. The group grabbed on to the rail as the section of stairs twisted from the landing on the third floor north, to the landing on the third floor east. Crabbe and Goyle, who had gone on ahead to make sure the way was cleared, were now stuck on the right floor, watching helplessly as their friends were trapped.

"That was odd," Silas muttered.

"Why? The stairs always move," Harry said.

Silas shook her head. "They're not random, actually. They have a schedule so that the students won't get horribly lost. This staircase shouldn't have moved, they are not scheduled for it." They left the stairs to stand on the landing. Once they were off, the stairs swung around again to their original position, leaving them stranded.

"What do we do now?" Draco moaned.

Silas tapped her scar as she thought this over. "Very odd, the stairs are not acting in the manner in which they should." She looked over to where Crabbe and Goyle were waiting and cupped her hands over her mouth, announcing, "We're taking the back stairs up to the fourth floor and cutting across the corridor to class! See you there!"

"There's a back stair?" Harry said, following Silas after Crabbe and Goyle left. The goons would tell McGonagall what happened and hopefully, they won't get points taken off for being late.

"Oh, yes, each side of Hogwarts has them. Those stairs don't move. They were built first, by the Founders. However, some Headmaster since then wanted to spruce up the old place and added the moving staircases." Silas told them "The original Hogwarts was very plain compared to what we know it as. It was supposed to blend in with the times and not stand out too much."

"Well, a huge castle with people still in it stands out today," said Harry.

"People can't see it now. Ever since living in vast castles such as this one went out of style, Hogwarts has a protection placed around it. To a Muggle, it's a molding pile of rocks that they just don't want to explore," explained Silas.

"My God, the House Elves have really let this place go," Draco muttered. Silas stopped to see what he was looking at. The entire hallway was dusty with huge cobwebs just hanging off every surface. The portraits were grimy and the inhabitants were not happy about it.

"House Elves?" asked Harry.

Draco sighed. "We haven't told you about House Elves?"

"Not yet."

"If we must, then we will tell you all about them," Draco said with a suffering air. "Really, Harry, you know nothing."

Harry nudged his friend. "And you enjoy telling me all about it."

"Wait a minute, what hallway is this?" Silas asked suddenly.

"My dear, this is the Eastern Corridor of the third floor," one of the portraits said, wiping a hand at the thick layer of dust. Not that it did any good. Silas, just to be nice, wiped off the nameplate to see who the portrait was of.

"Eileen Prince, Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Team," she muttered. Hmmm, that must have been a slow year.

"That's me, my dear. Who are you?"

Silas shrugged, wiping off the dust from the portrait. The woman looked familiar, but she couldn't place her. She was a sullen woman with heavy eyebrows and dark eyes, dressed in the robes of a Slytherin. For a moment, Silas and the woman stared at each other before the woman turned her gaze to Draco and Harry.

"On my word, a Slytherin hanging out with Gryffindors. Never thought I'd see the day," Eileen muttered.

Draco frowned. "Who we hang out with is our own business."

Eileen huffed. "That wouldn't happen in my day. We also had more manners. You three haven't said your names."

"You'll have to understand our reluctance, seeing as how we have landed ourselves in trouble," Silas said.

"You're very elequant for a Gryffindor," Eileen said. "One would think you had some breeding."

"How are we in trouble," asked Harry. "It's not our fault the stairs moved and this was the only place we could get off at."

"Because this s the corridor Dumbledore declared off limits at the beginning of the year," Draco said. He grabbed Silas's hand, pulling her away from the portrait. "We should find those stairs and get out of here. Quickly!"

Silas showed them the side stairs, but something had already beaten them to it. Standing, as calmly as you please, at the top of the stairs was Mrs. Norris. She was the cat of the groundskeeper, Filch. Both were nasty to the core and delighted in anything that would bring misery to the children.

"Run!" Draco cried, pulling Silas and Harry with him. Wherever Mrs. Norris was, Filch was often near by.

They could hear the horrid wheezing of Filch's breath as they dashed down the hallway. There was no way that Filch would believe them if they told him they hadn't meant to be there, even if it was the truth.

"In here," Harry gasped, practically swinging them through an open door. They

slammed it shut, holding it closed as they caught their breath.

"What is it my sweet? I don't see any students," they heard Filch say. "No one would be stupid enough to come down this hallway, not with what Dumbledore has here. Let's go back."

The small group breathed a sigh of relief. As one, they turned to lean against the door –

Only to find themselves face to face with a huge three-headed dog. Menacing red, beady eyes glared down at them as drool dripped from humongous muzzles in thick, slimy ropes. The stench from the dog's breath was beyond words.

Draco grabbed Harry and Silas and quickly bolted from the room. They ran back to the portrait of Eileen Prince, deciding to take their chances with the normal stairs.

"We're safe," Harry sighed, leaning against the wall. They were late for class, but that was alright. They were safe and alive and that was all that mattered. That ugly dog was locked behind a door and they were still alive.

It was then that the boys noticed that Silas was very quiet, and very still. Looking down, they saw her huddled on the floor, rocking back and forth. Small sobs were pulled from her and she looked like a lost little girl.

"Silas? Silas, sweetie, come on, get up," Draco said gently.

"My word, what is wrong with her," the portrait of Eileen asked.

"Silas? Come on, we have to get out of here," Harry pleaded. "What's wrong?"

"Did you say her name was Silas?"

Draco stood up and glared at the portrait, trying to hide his fear. "Go to the Potions lab and get Professor Snape. Tell him his daughter needs him. We'll wait here for him."

"Professor Snape?" Eileen gave a calculating look down at Silas before running off, her form seen darting from portrait to portrait. Draco and Harry sat next to her, wrapping their arms around her shivering form.


	8. Of Brooms and Trolls

Ch. 07

Silas had to spend the rest of the day in the dungeons with her father. Snape carried his daughter down the back stairs, not talking to the boys until he reached his rooms. He was silent while they explained their side of the story, but that courtesy didn't last long.

From what Snape was 'kind' enough to tell them (in between berating them for even setting foot in the forbidden corridor) was that the attack from Hagrid's dog years ago had scarred her so much, that any large dog gave her panic attacks.

"Not to mention the same bloody three-headed monster!" Snape roared. "Just what did you think would happen if she ran into that beast again!"

"I'm sorry, sir," Draco said. "It was an accident."

"Twenty points, both of you!" Snape snarled. "And detention this Friday night."

"Sir," said Harry softly, "we are sorry for what happened. We'd never willingly or knowingly hurt Silas."

Snape scoffed, "Funny, that is always what your father would say when his 'harmless' pranks hurt another student. Think that will help her now! Look at her!"

"I am sorry, sir. We didn't know the dog was in there, please, believe us," Harry pleaded.

"Just get out of my sight, Potter, or I'll take more points away!"

Harry and Draco left, leaving behind Snape to hold on to his daughter and

whisper for her to come back to him. She clung to him, whimpering, her black

eyes open wide and unseeing.

"I hope Silas is all right," Harry said once they arrived at the stairs.

"She will be. Snape will see to that," Draco replied. "See you later, Harry."

"You too, Draco."

Harry worried about Silas for the rest of the day and into the next morning. He was overjoyed when he saw her waiting for him at the breakfast table.

"Silas, are you all right," Harry asked, sliding in the seat next to her. He noted the dark bags under her eyes from lack of sleep.

"I'm fine, just a bit shaky still," she said. "It was a shock seeing that thing again. What is Dumbledore thinking, letting that creature in the school, in an unlocked room, at that! What if it got out?"

"The room was supposed to be locked, your father even said so in between telling Draco and me the many different and painful ways he would kill us if we ever let that happen to you again. We don't know why it wasn't locked, but we think someone tried to get in earlier."

Silas sighed, "I guess we'll never know. I doubt anyone will own up to it."

"I'm surprised we don't know already. Everyone knew about our adventure when I got back to the Common Room, and Draco told me at dinner that Slytherin knew as well. The most anyone would have known was about us getting stuck there, not the dog. I know we didn't tell anyone and that you father didn't tell anyone, so how did they know?"

"Could have been Crabbe and Goyle," Silas suggested.

Harry shook his head. "Draco asked them. They never even got a chance to tell McGonagall. She knew already."

Silas gave a snort, leaning close to Harry as the table started to fill up students. "It's the castle. Sometimes, the students just know what happened if it is willed for them to know. Hogwarts is alive."

"Alive?" Harry gasped. He quickly looked around and placed his lips by her ear. "It doesn't watch us shower, does it?"

Silas burst out laughing. "Now why would the castle want to watch something as scrawny as you bathe?"

Harry pretended to be offended. "I'm not scrawny, I'm manly." He flexed his non-existent muscles until Silas was nearly in tears from laughing.

She and Harry settled themselves in to eat breakfast. When the morning owl post arrived, Harry received a mysterious, broom-shaped package.

"What is that?" Weasley asked around a mouthful of French toast.

"I don't know," Harry said.

"If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say a broom," Silas said. It was so obvious that even Weasley should have gotten that.

"Who sent it?" Weasley asked.

Harry picked up a small card from the package and read, "Don't open this here, but in the Common Room. It's signed, McGonagall."

"We have some time before classes today," Silas said. "Let's go."

Harry and Silas quickly left with Weasley following behind. Outside of the Great Hall, they ran into Draco and the Slytherins, who were just coming up for breakfast. Silas didn't miss the fact that Pansy Parkinson was hanging off of Draco's arm. Crabbe looked disgusted by Draco's newest arm charm, while Goyle looked rather happy. Indeed, Goyle was beaming as he waved hello to Silas and Harry.

"Is that a broom?" Draco demanded, his gray eyes on the package.

Harry smiled. "Hello to you, too, Draco."

Silas tapped her scar as she answered, "Looks that way."

Draco frowned. "That's favoritism! First years are not allowed brooms. It's in the rules."

Weasley looked triumphant. "McGonagall gave it to him. He's on the Quidditch team."

"He's what!" Draco looked like the Weasel had just punched him in the gut.

Harry looked down at the floor. "Yeah, uh, after McGonagall saw that catch and dragged me off, I thought I was done for. Instead, she made me Seeker. I really don't know how it happened, Draco. And I'm sorry about not telling you, but McGonagall wanted it to be a secret for the first game."

"That really is favoritism. My father shall hear of this," Draco hissed.

"Nothing your father can do," Weasley taunted. "Even Dumbledore approves of him being Seeker."

Silas rolled her eyes and drove her elbow deep in the Weasel's gut. As the redhead lay gasping on the ground, she turned to her best friend. "Draco, we know that what McGonagall did was wrong, but it only proves she's desperate. Who's won the Quidditch Cup for the last two years?"

"Slytherin, of course."

"And who's won the House Cup for the last four years?"

"Slytherin."

"And who stands the chance to win the Cup again this year?"

"Slytherin," Draco said in a bored tone. "Really, Silas, get to the point."

"That is my point. She'll use any means necessary to win from now on. And Dumbledore is on her side in this matter. There is little your father can do right now," Silas reasoned. "Leave the matter for now, please."

Draco's gray eyes narrowed. "You just want to win the Quidditch Cup."

"Well, duh. And I have my eye on the House Cup." Silas smiled sweetly at Draco. "I just wouldn't be me if I didn't want it all, now would I?"

The Slytherin boy sighed. "No, you wouldn't be. All right, I won't tell my father. You're right, Silas, there is nothing I can gain right now. But that doesn't mean this matter is closed."

Silas grinned. "Thanks Draco." She blew a kiss to Draco and waved to the small and slightly dumbfounded group with him as she dragged Harry away. It took a deep growl from Crabbe to get the Weasel to follow them.

Behind them, Silas could hear Parkinson's high-pitched voice whine, "Even if she is Professor Snape's daughter, you don't have to be so friendly with a Gryffindor, Draco honey." Silas didn't hear Draco's answer, but she wished she had a way of getting rid of that annoying harlot.

Harry held her back for a brief second, turning towards Draco before the Slytherin group could enter the Great Hall. "Hey, is that bet about Quidditch still on?"

"Of course. Just because you're on the team, doesn't mean Gryffindor will win.

Slytherin is still the best."

"We never did discuss what the loser had to pay or do," Harry said.

"One favor to the winner, paid this summer," Draco answered and left them. Parkinson stuck her tongue out at Silas before she followed Draco into the Great Hall. Silas quickly uttered a spell and stuck a "Gryffindor Rules" sign on Parkinson's back. Satisfied, she followed Harry back to the Common Room.

Once they reached the Common Room, Harry tore open the package in a frenzy. There, among the tattered wrappings and torn bow, was a Nimbus 2000. Currently the greatest broom to date. Harry could only gasp as he took in the perfect lines and neat bristles and golden lettering.

"Harry," Ron breathed, "that's a top-of-the-line broom."

"I know," Harry whispered. He gazed lovingly at the broom until he became aware of a silent and slightly fuming Silas next to him. He snatched the broom up and said, "I can't keep this. It's too much. I'll bring it back to McGonagall and let her know that I'll use the school brooms."

Ron gave a howl of displeasure, grabbing Harry's arm. "You can't do that! Not with this broom! Harry, you deserve it!"

"He's right," Silas sighed. "You have earned the right to have a nice broom. I can't believe I just agreed with the Weasel."

It took some convincing, but Harry finally agreed to keep the broom. Silas remained silent while his time was spent split between school and practice. She barely had any time to educate him as when Harry was in the Common Room with her, the Weasel was regaling him once again about his broom.

"I swear, Harry, if he talks about what Brooms Weekly had to say about the Nimbus 2000, I'm shoving him down the stairs," Silas growled when she caught him before Charms class on Halloween.

Harry only laughed. "It keeps him happy."

"He's not some puppy, Harry. You can tell him to shut up."

"I don't mind. He knows more about brooms and Quidditch then you do."

"Draco knows more, and he won't repeat himself every five seconds." Silas huffed. "Besides, I swear the Weasel looks like he's going to wet himself every time you show him your broom."

"Do you have to call him the Weasel? You don't treat his brothers like that."

Silas shrugged. "Fred and George are fun and Percy has a certain quality about him. They earned my respect." She didn't tell him that Fred and George now went to her before any major prank, and that the Slytherins were not their main targets anymore. Her father had thanked her for that, for stopping a new

generation of Marauders from emerging too soon.

Charms was interesting as they learned how to levitate a feather. Silas stayed by Harry, helping him with his enunciation. It did not escape her notice that Weasley couldn't get his feather to move and that made her smile.

"I hear there is a big feast tonight, because of Halloween," Silas said after class.

"Do witches and wizards go trick or treating?" Harry asked. "Muggle kids do, but I don't know if your kind does."

"Our kind, Harry," Silas corrected. "You're one of us. And no, we don't go trick or treating. Halloween is actually a very sacred time of year for us. We party instead."

She spent the rest of the day explaining what Halloween, or Samhein, was, and why it was important to their kind. Harry sat there, his green eyes wide, lapping up everything she said. He had never heard this side of history before, knowing everything only from a clearly Muggle point of view.

Their talks only ceased when it came time for dinner. Harry walked down with the Weasel, who was rather upset that Silas had manipulated the Golden Hero's time. Silas was gracious enough to keep quiet while Weasley talked with Harry. It actually served her purpose. Weasley had not tact and his obvious attacks on her character would only hurt him. After all, Harry was a simple boy who wanted everyone to get along, and to have Weasley make snide remarks on Slytherins would only cause Harry to push the boy away.

The Great Hall was set up with giant pumpkins and flying bats. Healthy food was almost abandoned in favor of sweets and the kids ate with abandon. There was candy of every kind, and it was only for that one night. An enchanted band played haunting tunes in one corner and the ceiling, charmed to show the sky, flashed with lightning every once in a while.

This time, it was Ron who manipulated Harry's ear, telling him about his side of the holiday. It was mostly what his family did each year, punctuated by stories of how Fred and George would play pranks on him. Unbeknownst to him, Silas was getting a few good ideas to run by the devil twins.

Dinner was almost over when the doors slammed open and Quirrell ran in, his turban knocked askew. He paused at the teachers' table and yelled, "Troll! Troll in the dungeon!"

There was a pause as the words vibrated in the hall and the professor fainted, and then pandemonium broke out. Only Dumbledore's yelling got them to quiet down and he ordered that they all be led to their dorms.

"Come on, stay together," Percy said, ushering the Gryffindors out. Silas pulled back, grabbing Harry so that they'd be the last to leave.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"The Slytherin dorms are in the dungeons," Silas whispered. "They shouldn't be brought down there with a troll."

"What can we do about it?" Harry asked. "Go to a teacher?"

"I don't know. Dumbledore said for everyone to go to their dorms. Surely my father would stop them from heading to the dungeons."

"I saw your father leave through a back door after Quirrell's announcement," Harry said. "Should we tell someone else?"

Silas tapped her scar as she thought a moment. "I can go and suggest to their Prefect that they maybe head to the library instead. There is a short cut between here and the stairs to the dorms. We might be able to cut them off."

Harry nodded and followed her, just to make sure she was safe. He was not one to face Snape's anger should anything happen to Silas. She led him through a twisty tunnel behind a tapestry that he would never have thought was there. As they neared the end of the tunnel, they could hear fighting.

The troll had found Slytherin House.

The troll was the ugliest creature Harry had ever seen. Larger then Hagrid, it was covered with green bumpy skin and a rotting animal's corpse as a loincloth. A club made from a tree trunk was clutched in one huge hand as it stared at the prize in the other.

It had Draco in the air, dangling by one leg, several Slytherins unconscious on the ground. A few of the younger years were shouting hexes at it, but there was no effect. The troll grunted and ignored them, trying to hit Draco like a piñata, and missing horribly.

"Put him down!" Harry roared, firing his own jinx. However, his arsenal of spells was rather pathetic at the time. He did manage to levitate the club away, but do no more damage.

"Allow me," Silas said, pushing him out of the way. She jabbed her wand at the troll and yelled, "SECTUMSEMPRA!" Immediately, the troll started to bleed as if stabbed by a sword. He held on to Draco as he fell to the floor, luckily not on the boy.

"What kind of spell was that," Harry asked as he and Silas rushed forward to free Draco from the dead troll's grasp.

"Just something I learned," Silas said. "Draco, are you all right?"

"I think I broke something," Draco moaned. "Nice move with that levitation spell, Potter."

"Thank you, Malfoy," Harry said.

"Not many spells in your arsenal, is there," Draco muttered. "We'll have to fix that, right Silas?"

She never got a chance to answer for that was when the cavalry arrived. Quirrell, McGonagall and her father came running around the corner. Quirrell took one look at the dead troll and fainted, once again. Silas figured that a vampire bent on revenge wasn't the only thing her Defense teacher was scared of.

"What happened here?" McGonagall gasped. "And you two, what are you doing here?"

"We're glad they showed up," Flint, captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, said. "We were in a bit of a bind with the troll. Silas and Potter managed to finish it off."

"Couldn't have done it if you boys hadn't winded it first," Silas said modestly. Flint gave her a small salute and smiled. It was no secret among Slytherin that their Head of House dotted on his daughter despite her being in Gryffindor and she could see that they had warmed up to Harry. That made Silas very happy, despite that she was probably facing the worst grounding of her life.

"That doesn't answer my questions," McGonagall snapped.

Dirk, a skinny boy in second year, stepped forward. "We were going to our dorm, as ordered, when the troll found us. It managed to knock half of Slytherin out and took Draco as hostage. None of our spells had any effect and then Silas and Potter appeared. Potter got the club away from the troll, which probably saved Draco's life and Silas hexed it. The combination of hexes and jinxes we sent its way killed it."

Snape looked between the dead troll and his daughter. "Is that how it happened?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, exactly like that," Silas said. "Harry and I came here to warn them, but it appeared as if we were too late."

"Warn them?" McGonagall took a step closer to Silas. "And why would you think it was your place to warn anyone? How could you possibly know such a thing would happen? You should have warned a teacher, not come charging down here on your own."

It was Harry who said, "We had no time, Professor McGonagall. The Slytherin dorms are in the dungeon and Professor Quirrell said the troll was in the dungeons. Made sense that if they were heading to the dungeons, they'd meet up with it. We were worried that we'd be too late and just wanted to find them as soon as possible."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. But I'm taking five points for leaving your group and wandering away in such a dangerous time!" McGonagall snapped. Silas saw her father give the older teacher a strange look, as if to say that taking points for that was not the point at the moment.

It was then that Silas noticed the blood on her father's robes. When he caught her looking, he quickly rearranged his robes to hide the evidence. It was too late, however. She knew he had been hurt.

"On the other hand, you children did do the impossible," Snape said smoothly. "Ten points to Slytherin and Gryffindor for bringing down a full grown mountain troll. Now, help your fallen comrades to the infirmary. Silas, you and Harry should be checked as well. Come on, I'll escort you all."


	9. Quidditch

Ch. 08

It took almost all of Slytherin to move the injured students. Snape created stretchers and escorted the students to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was in a tizzy when she saw how many of the children were hurt, and nearly every bed was taken. When Snape tried to sneak out, the Medi-witch grabbed him and told him to lay down as well.

"Thought you could sneak by me, Severus? I can see you're limping. Lie down and let me look at that leg," Pomfrey commanded.

Snape gave a glare worthy of sending even the bravest students running. However, the woman was no student and his glare had no effect. Pomfrey lifted his robes to reveal a hideous gash on his leg, torn nearly to the bone. The pain must have been immense, but Snape was never one to let on when he was hurt.

"I don't know what you got into, Severus," Pomfrey said, "but you'll have to stay the night while you heal. Settle in and get comfortable."

Snape groaned. He was given privacy to change into a night shirt (brought to him by a House Elf) and then was forced to relax in the bed. Pomfrey gave him a potion and told him to go to sleep.

"Madam Pomfrey," said Silas softly, "would it be all right if I stayed with my father for a while?"

Pomfrey would normally have said no, but she held a soft spot for the daughter of Severus Snape. Since the child lived in Hogsmead, whenever Silas had the sniffles or needed medical help, Severus always brought her to Pomfrey. It was this reason alone that the normally stern woman nodded and allowed Silas to stay.

Silas curled up next to her father, despite his protests. Seeing him hurt had scared her more then that troll.

"Silas, have I ever told you how I met your mother," Snape said quietly, wrapping one arm around his daughter.

"No, only that you two met here, at Hogwarts."

Softly, Snape said, "It was my seventh year, and I had long since thought that I'd never find any woman who would want me. Everyone around me had found someone special, and I was still alone. Then, one day, while I was in the library, this lovely Ravenclaw came up to me. I had never noticed her before, not being one to really look at others.

"She asked me to tutor her in Defense, since it was one of my best subjects. I agreed, and soon found out that she had been watching me for years. Your mother, Edna, had first laid eyes on me in this very infirmary. She started asking around about me, but not in a way that anyone knew she liked me. She didn't even really need tutoring in Defense, it was an excuse to meet me."

"So, you and mom started to date?"

"I wouldn't call it dating. We saw each other all through that year and were married right after graduation. Many others did the same thing, we were at war and that makes the young reckless," Snape said. "We lived, for a time, at my old childhood home in Spinner's End. However, when she became pregnant with you, I sold the house and moved us to Hogsmead so that I could be with her more."

"How did mom die," Silas asked. She knew from poison, but not the particulars.

Snape sighed. "I am still fuzzy on that. I was talking to Dumbledore about getting a teaching position and possibly holding off on becoming a Potions Master for a while so I could spend some time with Edna and you. He agreed and I left him to tell Edna the good news. I went and talked to my mentor, Professor Slughorn, letting him know that I would be a year late on receiving my Masters. He rambled on a bit before letting me go. I stopped only long enough to buy flowers and make reservations for a nice dinner that night. When I got home, I found one of the healers from St. Mungo's waiting for me, telling me that Edna had gone into labor early."

"Did mom floo to St. Mungo's? Is that what caused her so much strain that she died?"

"No. Dumbledore found her. She had drank poison, muttering something about Deatheaters. He took her to St. Mungo's and left."

"Why didn't Dumbledore wait for you?"

"I don't know. The healers told me he was the one that found her, but he must have used the floo to beat me to the house. I wish I had done that, instead of walking. I would have been there, possibly in time to identify the poison she took. I had some bezoars in the house, I could have saved her."

Snape shifted slightly, settling in to get more comfortable. "I never did find out why Dumbledore went to my house that day."

Silas was silent, thinking over what her father had said. She listened to his breathing as he fell asleep, peaceful for the time being. Something about that story didn't add up, and she knew that her father felt the same way.

She woke up only once, when Dumbledore came in. A slight pressure on the side of her face told her that her father didn't want the old man to know she was awake. She relaxed, listening in on the conversation.

"Well, Severus, is it safe?" Dumbledore asked after Father told him that she was asleep.

"Yes, I was nearly mauled by that damn dog in doing so. Really, Albus, can't we move the Stone someplace safer?"

"I'm afraid not, Severus. Under the guard of Hagrid's mutt, Fluffy, is the safest place to be. No one will get the Stone now." Dumbledore said gravely. "Did you see anyone?"

"I ran into McGonagall and Quirell on my back. Other then that, no one."

"Good, very good. As long as it's safe, things are good."

Snape sighed, "How safe can it be when you tell everyone not to go into the hallway? That will only tempt the students. Had you said nothing, we wouldn't have to worry so much."

"I have my reasons, Severus. Do not question them, my boy. You know what happens to those who let secrets loose."

Close to midnight, Pomfrey woke Silas up and sent her on up to bed. As she was walking to her dorm, she had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.

A week later, it was time for the first Quidditch match of the school year. Gryffindor against Slytherin, and it was to be Harry's first game. Silas found him sitting in the Great Hall, staring at the food and looking green.

"Come on, mate, you have to eat," Weasley said, waving toast under Harry's nose. The new Seeker looked like he was going to be sick.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Silas asked, sliding in next to him.

"What if I'm no good? What if I'm a complete failure?" Harry moaned. "What if I cost Gryffindor the game?"

"Then you'd owe Draco your soul," Silas said. "You have to eat and stop worrying. It's only Quidditch."

"Only Quidditch!" The Weasel gasped, staring at her as if she grew two heads.

"Quidditch is life! Quidditch is everything!"

"You're not helping," Silas growled.

"No, Ron's right. If I fail at this, my life is over," Harry groaned, his head in his hands.

Silas rolled her eyes. "Just eat breakfast, you'll need your strength."

When Harry tried to protest, she quickly jammed a spoonful of porridge in his mouth. He obediently swallowed and took the spoon from her, feeding himself. Silas smiled and handed him the bowl and a plate of fruit.

"You're such a mother hen," Harry muttered. Silas laughed and started to serve herself her own breakfast. She was pleased when Harry stopped looking so green.

Harry was enjoying his breakfast when he felt a cold shadow loom over him. Turning, he saw Snape standing behind him. Ever since the troll incident a week ago, Snape had been rather distant to him. There were no cutting remarks in Potions or sneers when their paths crossed in the halls. Instead, it was as if Harry never existed. Harry didn't know what hurt the most; the insults or lack there of.

"Good luck today, Mr. Potter. Now that you've tested your courage against a full grown mountain troll, I believe a game of Quidditch should be a breeze. Even if you are facing Slytherin," Snape said silkily. His dark eyes glittered for a moment, taking in Harry's frightened appearance.

"Truthfully, sir, I think I'd rather face that mountain troll," Harry said. "How is your leg doing?"

"Much better, Mr. Potter. I expect a good game today. Let's see if McGonagall is right about you," Snape said and left.

Silas grinned and hugged her friend. "You did it! He likes you."

"Really? How can you tell," Harry asked, turning back to his porridge.

"He answered you when you asked him about his leg," Silas said. "That means he's accepted you."

Next to them, the Weasel gave a snort. Harry finished his breakfast and ran off to meet with his team. Silas and the Weasel were left to gather their things and head out to the stands.

"Hey, Silas," Draco called. "Where are you sitting?"

Silas smiled. "Well, that depends. Would Slytherin be offended if I cheer for my house?"

"Of course we will be," Draco scoffed. "Now come on, we want to get good seats."

Silas shook her head, but let Draco and the goons lead her up to the Slytherin seats. She was excited, this was going to be a great game. She could see her father in the teacher's stands. He had changed into a green robe with the Slytherin House crest. Of course, next to him was McGonagall, dressed in Gryffindor red.

When the game started, Silas found herself in a competition with Draco to see who could cheer the loudest for their team. Being the only Gryffindor in the Slytherin stands, she was quickly drowned out. That didn't stop her from jumping and screaming like a loon when Gryffindor scored. Draco, spurred on by her yelling, tried to out do her when Slytherin scored. They were the loudest that day.

"Have you spotted the Snitch," Draco asked.

"Not yet, and neither has the two Seekers," Silas replied. The Snitch was a small, golden ball with wings. Once caught, it ended the game.

"I've spotted something," Crabbe said. When Silas turned to look at him, he handed her his binoculars. "Look at Harry."

Silas did, and gasped. "It looks like he's having problems with his broom," she muttered. Immediately, the Slytherins in the vicinity all had their eyes trained on Harry and his bucking broom. There was a gasp and a few screams as Harry was thrown off, only a lucky catch kept him from falling to the ground. He hung there, by one hand, as his broom tried its hardest to get rid of him.

"It's a jinx!" Silas cried. "Who's doing that?"

"I can't tell," Draco said. "Everyone has their eyes on him and many mouths are moving. It could be anyone."

Silas started to mutter a basic counter-jinx, trying to keep the broom from shaking her friend off. She could hear Draco join her once it became obvious that her power was not enough. They whispered together, their eyes on the Gryffindor Seeker.

Suddenly, with a sigh of relief, Silas saw that the broom steadied. She continued the counter-jinx as Harry climbed up on his broom. Once he was seated and was flying with no problem, she finally stopped. She was ready in case the jinx started up again.

"Think that did it," asked Draco, his eyes on Harry.

"I hope so. It was hard, though. Whoever did it was strong," said Silas.

At that moment, Harry streeked by after a flash of gold. Draco moaned as he realized that Harry had seen the Snitch first. Higgs was hot on his tail, racing neck and neck. Draco and Silas came out of their seats as they watched their classmates reach for the Snitch.

"Oh no!" Silas cried as their brooms tipped, spilling the boys out on to the field.

Higgs stood and looked around. He reached for his broom when Harry stood as well.

"Is he going to be sick," asked Crabbe as Harry clutched his stomache. Everyone watched as Harry gagged and heaved.

"What's going on," Draco demanded.

At that, Harry heaved one last time. He looked down at his hand before proudly holding high the Snitch. Gryffindor won!

"Some bastards have all the luck," Draco cursed. He didn't seem to mind it all that much as Silas gave a squeal and hugged him. He grinned, hugging her back tightly. He wasn't grinning, however, when Crabbe grabbed them both in a tight bear hug.

Silas ran to Harry once he was finished with the well-wishers of his team and House. She smiled and threw her arms around him as well, the thrill of winning a powerful drug in her system.

"You did it, Harry! You won!" Silas cried.

"Yeah, I did," Harry said, swinging her around. "Did you see that catch!"

"I saw more then the catch," Silas said, suddenly pushing herself away. "I saw what happened to your broom. Someone jinxed it."

Harry looked confused. "Why would anyone want to jinx my broom?"

"I don't know," said Silas. "If it was just to let Slytherin win, then it was too obvious. Of course, if you were knocked from your broom like that, Slytherin would be forced to forefit that win."

"Really?"

Silas nodded. "As I said, it was too obvious. And strong. It took both Draco and I with a counter-jinx to stop your broom from shaking."

"Won't that get you in trouble," asked Harry.

"It would." The cold, silky voice caused the three of them to freeze.

Silas turned to see her father standing behind her. "My office, Silas. Now."

Silas sighed. "I'll see you later, Harry." She followed her father back to the dungeons. She could tell her father was upset, but she wasn't sure why. All she had done was keep the playing field even. She wasn't even helping Harry cheat.

"Just what did you think you were doing," Snape demanded as soon as he shut his office door. He rounded out and glared at his daughter.

Silas took a step back, bumping into the desk. Since starting Hogwarts, she had witnessed her father's anger more times then she had ever before. Wary of his temper, she tried to keep distance between them now.


	10. Christmas Morning

Ch. 09

Christmas seemed to pounce on them and before Silas knew it, everyone was talking about their holiday plans. Most students had homes to go to and were excitedly comparing their plans. Silas had offers from her friends to spend time with them during Christmas, but it was Draco's offer that she really paid attention to.

"Father has invited you, of course, to visit after Christmas," Draco said. "He also mentioned he'd be delighted if Harry came by too, seeing as though he'll be spending Christmas at Hogwarts."

"Sounds delightful," Silas replied, packing her books after a study session. "I'll ask Father and we'll see if we can't kidnap Harry for one evening."

"Dumbledore not letting the Boy Wonder out of his sight?"

"No, he's not." Silas frowned. "I swear, he's so paranoid that we're going to turn him into some kind of Deatheater Jr."

Draco laughed. "We aren't?"

Silas punched him on the shoulder. "As far as Dumbledore is concerned, we aren't. All we're doing is teaching Harry the truth about magic."

She and Draco met up with Harry after his Quidditch practice. They arrived in time to hear the Weasel tell Harry that he, too, will be staying at Hogwarts.

"My family is going to visit my brother in Romania, so those of us in Hogwarts are staying here," Weasley said. "I never spent a Christmas away from my family."

"Imagine that," Draco drawled before Silas jabbed him with her elbow.

"Harry, Draco's father has invited you to come over with me the day after Christmas," Silas said. "The Malfoy's often have a little get together for friends after the holiday. Would you be interested?"

"I – " Harry started, but the Weasel cut him off.

"He can't. He has to have permission from his family and the school to just go running off to someone's house. And how are you going to leave Hogwarts, Snape? The Hogwarts Express doesn't return here until just before classes start."

Silas smiled. "I live in Hogsmead. I plan on using the Floo."

Harry shrugged. "I'm sure Uncle Vernon won't mind if I go over to your house, Draco. As long as I'm out of his hair, it'll be fine."

"Besides," said Silas triumphantly, "there's no rule that states he has to have more then his guardian's permission. I guess that settles it."

Turned out, there was a rule. A very old, very forgotten rule that Dumbledore had found and used to his advantage. Had Godric Gryffindor not died centuries ago, Silas would have strangled him. The merry twinkle in the old goat's eyes told her that he knew he had won this round. Harry was staying under his care without Silas's protection.

"It's just not fair," Silas huffed. "Stupid ancient rule. Stupid Gryffindor. What a moron!"

"No, really, Silas, tell us how you feel," Fred said sympathetically. Though he was glad that Harry was staying, he understood what it felt like to have grown ups change the rules of the game on you.

"We'll watch out for him," George promised. He had no love for the Malfoys and wasn't sad to see Harry stay, but he could see that this was tearing up his newest partner in crime. "Harry's kinda like a little brother to us. We won't let anything happen to him."

Harry was devastated. He was actually looking forward to spending more time with Silas and Draco. They were his best friends, after all. It was with a heavy heart that Harry bid Draco good-bye when the break started. Silas promised that they would do something interesting when he got back, and she'd have Harry help her plan.

It snowed before Christmas, and everyone enjoyed a day outside. Fred and George pulled Harry and Silas in a snowball fight. They were no match for the demon twins and were soon soaking wet and cold. Fred and George helped them inside and got them hot chocolate. Snape was not thrilled about the state they were in and, as they sat there sipping their cocoa, he had Madam Pomfrey make sure that Silas wouldn't catch pneumonia.

"I'm fine, Father," Silas protested. "Really."

"Don't back talk me, Silas. Lord only knows what you've contracted while running around in the ice. Need I remind you of how easily you got sick as a child?"

"No, Father," Silas sighed.

Snape reached down, placing one cool hand on her forehead. He frowned, telling her that he thought she was catching a fever. Silas spent most of her time at Hogwarts in the hospital wing, bundled under a mountain of blankets and forced to eat chicken noodle soup. She was only allowed to leave on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning was a surprise to Harry. At the foot of his bed was a pile of gifts. He had never had gifts before, and was almost afraid to open them.

"Go ahead, mate," Ron said. "They don't bite."

Harry quickly unwrapped his gifts. He received a few books on Wizards and History from the Malfoys ("That is really nice of them," Harry commented.) and a small box of fudge from Silas and Draco. He was surprised to get a sweater from Ron's mom.

"She didn't think you'd have a lot of gifts," Ron explained. The sweater was forest green with a golden snitch on the front. "See, I have one too," he said, holding up a very ugly maroon sweater with a fuzzy "R" on the front.

Just then, the door opened and Fred, George and Silas walked in. Fred and George wore identical fuzzy sweaters with a huge "F" and "G" on them. Silas was dressed in black robes that sparkled like the night sky that she had received from the Malfoys.

"Hey, look, Harry got a Weasley sweater," Fred said. Silas secretly thought the sweaters were tacky, but when she saw Ron's and compared it to the others, she decided that Ron must be the least favorite child of the bunch. No mother would send the one she loved anything that hideous.

"Yeah, mum sends them each year," George commented. "I don't know why she puts our initials on them. We know who we are; Gred and Forge."

Harry grinned. "Yes, I can see that." He then turned his attention to Silas. "You're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. Father is staying here. You can keep him company," Silas said brightly. All three Weasleys looked horrified at the thought, but wisely, said nothing.

"Oh, Harry, you forgot a gift," Fred said, picking up a bulky package from the loor.

Puzzled, Harry opened it to reveal a silvery, shimmering cloak. He held it up, the confusion on his face. Everyone else went silent until Ron gagged on the chocolate frog he had been munching on. Absentmindedly, Fred reached over and patted his baby brother on the back.

"Harry, if that's what I think it is, it's very rare," Ron gasped. "Put it on!" Shrugging, Harry did. He gave a startled shriek when he saw that his body vanished, leaving his head floating in mid-air.

"An Invisibility Cloak," Silas breathed. "Who sent you that?"

George picked up a small scrap of paper nestled in the wrappings. "All it says is, this once belonged to your father. I thought you would want it back. Use it well."

"No signature," Silas asked. When George shook his head, she snatched the paper from him. The loopy handwriting caused her blood to boil.

"The old goat," she spat. "Be careful with that cloak, Harry. The price may be too high for it."

"What do you mean," Harry asked. "It's a gift."

Silas shook her head. If Dumbledore was sending him the cloak, then he expected Harry to use it. She had to think of how to turn this to her advantage and not give that meddlesome old man his due.

"Fred, George, can I talk to you for a moment?" Silas said, motioning the twins to follow her out of the room. She had an idea.

"What is it, Silas? A new prank?" Fred asked, a glint in his eyes.

"Not really. Listen, I don't trust this mysterious gift. Keep an eye on Harry and make sure he doens't get into any trouble."

"Harry, trouble," George asked, skeptical. "Never."

Silas smiled sweetly. "I don't want Harry getting in any trouble. I'm sure the two of you are already plotting on what to use the cloak for. Don't get caught!" Whatever the old man was plotting, she was sure that the twins would unintentionally steer him away from it. They would have him spying or sneaking into the library and nab books from the restricted section.

"If you do that, I'll get you guys a gift bag from Zonko's." Silas promised.

"We're in!" Fred declared. George gave him a look of disbelief. Of the two of them, Fred was the one that liked Silas the most while George only followed his twin from loyalty and remained suspicious of Silas. "Be sure it's a good gift bag, not the cheep stuff they keep by the door."

"No problem. I'll get you the best there is," Silas promised. She spent the rest of the day with Harry and the twins. They watched as Ron tried to teach Harry how to play chess, only to have the Savior of the Wizarding world be beaten ten times in a row. It became Ron's favorite game.

The next day, Harry watched as Silas left to spend a few days with the Malfoys. He tried his hardest to have fun, but chess with Ron and sneaking out with the twins got old after the fourth day. He had to find something else to do before he went mad.

"Where are you going, Harry," Ron asked as Harry started to leave the Common Room.

"I'm going to talk to Professor Snape. Might as well say hi before Silas gets back," Harry said and left.

He found his professor in the potions room, grading papers. Snape looked up at him through a curtain of greasy hair, not saying a word as Harry stood in front of him.

"Uh, sir? I was wondering if you needed help with anything." Harry tugged on his robes, suddenly feeling shy. He knew Silas had said that Snape accepted him, but the man was just plain creepy at times.

"Anything, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes sir."

Snape set down the papers he was grading. "And what, pray tell, brings you down here to ask such a question."

Harry struggled with what he should say. Silas had told him that Snape valued the truth. "My pride can only take getting beaten by Ron so many times at chess, sir. And I knew that Silas would like it if I came down to keep you company."

Snape gave a snort. "If you really want to help, you can clean those cauldrons. Without magic." He looked back down at the paper and gave a disgusted noise. "Keep me company. Pathetic."

Harry looked at the cauldrons lined up against the wall. He looked back at Snape, who was clearly waiting for Harry to say, "Guess not," and leave.

Instead, he smiled and said, "Sure." Harry dragged over a bucked of hot sudsy water and a stiff brush and started scrubbing the cauldrons. This was no worse then what he had to do at his relatives' home, but at least this was something he chose to do and wasn't forced on him.

"Sir," Harry said, looking up from the cauldron. "Why not use magic?"

"Because, Mr. Potter, magic leaves a residue behind and that can taint any potion you make. Too many wizards are sloppy and think magic will take care of everything, and never notice that their potions are not correct. That is why after class you must wash your cauldrons by hand, and why those need to be

washed by hand." Snape explained.

"Really? Interesting," Harry said. He bet that Fred and George would love to hear that. He knew the two of them sometimes tinkered with potions.

"You said that you were playing chess with Mr. Weasley?" Snape asked after a long, comfortable silence.

"Yes sir," Harry said, finishing his third cauldron. "I'm not very good at it. He keeps beating me."

"Imagine that, something a Potter isn't good at," Snape muttered.

Harry let that one slide, working on his last cauldron. When he was done, he rinsed out his bucket and informed Snape he was about to leave.

"One moment, Mr. Potter," Snape said, standing up. "There is one more thing you can do."

"Oh?"

Snape waved his wand and a chess set appeared. "You can actually learn how to play this game. Now, sit down and we'll begin."


	11. A Strange Punishment

Ch. 10

The weeks that followed Christmas seemed like a wonderful dream. Harry soon spent his Sundays with Snape, learning how to play chess. The professor was even better then Ron, and always told Harry what he did wrong.

"I am determined," Snape said, "that you beat me someday, Mr. Potter. I will accept nothing less then at least one victory on your part."

When they came back to school, Silas and Draco would join them for lunch, offering their advice. Harry would sit back and watch Silas play her father, a battle of wits if he ever saw one. Sometimes Silas won, sometimes her father won, but it was almost always a close game. Ron didn't like the idea of Harry spending so much time with Snape, but there was nothing the redhead could do about it.

"What if he tries to kill you," Ron said. "Everyone knows he hates Gryffindors."

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's ok, Ron. Snape really isn't that bad of a guy once you get to know him."

He did tell Fred and George about the cauldrons and what Snape told him. They were surprised, but promised to try it once.

"And it worked beautifully," George said. "Our latest creation had less mistakes then any we've ever made."

"Yeah," Fred commented. "I always thought Snape was just torturing us with the whole washing of the cauldrons thing. And now we know it was for our benefit. Who knew?"

"I know what's in that room," Silas said after chess one night. They had gotten back from a small chess match, refereed by Snape. Harry was still floating on the meager praise given to him by the most hated teacher at Hogwarts. Snape had said that Harry wasn't as dumb as he looked.

"Huh?" Harry looked over at Silas as she grabbed his hand. Swinging their clasped hands between them, he smiled.

"I said, I know what's in that room. Y'know, the one that the dog is guarding," Silas said. "I remember overhearing the old man tell my father."

"What is it?" Harry asked. He didn't really like Silas calling Dumbledore an 'old man', but she did it so rarely around him that he let it slide this time.

"The Philosopher's Stone," Silas said. When she saw his confused look, she sighed. "It's a special and magical stone that was made by a man named Nicolas Flemal. He's good friends with Dumbledore. The stone can do two things; it can turn objects into gold and it can make the Elixir of Life."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I told you, I overheard Dumbledore telling my father. I looked up all information on special magical objects called 'stone' and figured out what it was when I cross-referenced the inventors with Dumbledore," Silas said. "Draco thought I had been replaced by a Ravenclaw."

"Why is it here?"

Silas paused. "Good question. I mean, something that valuable shouldn't just be left in a school, guarded only by a carnivorous monster. It should be locked up or hidden away somewhere."

Harry nodded and then asked, "How do you know it can do all those things? I thought that the whole metal into gold was a myth."

"No," Silas said. "It's Alchemy, actually. An ancient art tied to potions. In the past, all Potions Masters had to learn alchemy too, but since the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, no one has studied it anymore. It's like, useless since the only thing alchemy was used for was discovered."

Harry snorted. "That's stupid! To give up an entire section of research because of one discovery. Muggles wouldn't do that. If they find the cure to say, the common cold, then they don't give up on looking for more medicine. Surely, alchemy had more going for it then just the Philosopher's Stone."

"Of course it did," Silas said. "I plan on being the first Potions Master since Nicholas Flemal to use alchemy." She didn't tell him that she was resentful of being compared to and found lacking when compared to Muggles. She would have to change that.

Now Silas knew what Dumbledore was up to. He wanted Harry to find the stone for some reason. She was sure that the old man was behind the stairs' sudden change in scheduled movements that day. Once she could figure out the reason why, she could find a way to stop him. She had little doubt that this would be some dangerous mission for Harry. The old man was like Hagrid in that sense. He never saw the danger, only fun.

Silas and Harry made their way back to the Common Room. They settled in a corner to complete their homework and discuss what they knew. They had to talk in low, hushed tones so no one would over hear them. Sometimes, Fred and George would come over to discuss a new idea with them, or Ron would come over to talk to Harry. Finally, Silas put her foot down, as it were, and told them that she and Harry had to finish their homework.

They were too busy with their essay for Charms class to notice that the room mysteriously cleared out, or how much time passed. It was well past midnight and they had classes the next morning. By the time Harry looked up, he was surprised at how empty and lonely the Common Room seemed.

"Maybe we should get to bed," he suggested.

Silas yawned and nodded. "I think this is good enough for Flintwick."

They started to pack up their books and parchment when a strange red glow illuminated the room. Harry paused, looking around to see the source. When they found nothing in the Common Room that was producing the light, they turned their attention to the window. There, they discovered a large bonfire on the grounds.

"That's Hagrid's hut," Harry gasped. "We have to do something!"

"Like what," Silas asked. "We're too far to use a water spell."

"Tell someone," Harry insisted. "Get help! Do something!"

Silas paused for an instant, her eyes on the burning hut. It was all dried wood and whiskey down there. There was no way that they could get help in time. Their only hope was if Hagrid wasn't asleep inside and had the brains to go get help himself.

"Ok," she said. "McGonagall's room is closer. She's probably asleep, so we'll have to wake her. Hopefully, she doesn't take points for us being out of bed this late."

"It's an emergency," Harry snapped and grabbed Silas by her arm and dragged her out of the room. Together, they ran in the direction of their House Mistress's room. To their luck, McGonagall was out on patrol and they nearly ran her over.

The normally prim teacher looked wild. Her gray hair was out of the tight bun she kept it in, flowing wild and free over her skinny shoulders. Her robe was wrinkled and the tartan she always wore was messily clasped on the wrong shoulder. When she saw them, there was a strange look in her eyes.

"What are you two doing out of bed," McGonagall asked. "You both know the rules. Silas, you know them better then anyone."

"It's Hagrid's hut," Harry explained. "It's on fire!"

McGonagall frowned, her lips disappearing in a thin line. "Impossible. We have alarms for such things, and none of them have gone off."

"We saw it," Silas said. "Just have someone go check. Please."

McGonagall shook her head. "In all the years I've worked here, that has to be the lamest excuse for being caught out of bed. Your father will hear of this, Silas Snape."

"We're telling the truth," Harry whispered. His voice cracked and Silas could tell that he was on the verge of tears. He trusted McGonagall.

"Fine, punish us," Silas snapped as she put an arm around Harry, "but go check on Hagrid anyway. Humor me."

McGonagall stood up straighter. "Cheeky little thing, aren't you," she muttered. "If it's a punishment you want, then that's what you'll get."

"But -" Silas protested.

"No buts," McGonagall snapped. "Running around after curfew, telling tall tales and acting in an insubordinate manner to your teacher . . . what kind of punishment do you two deserve?"

"A slap on the wrist and no dessert for a week," Silas huffed.

McGonagall turned to the suit of armor next to her and said, "What kind of punishment do they deserve, Headmaster? I have never, in all my years, had such unruly children. Even James Potter was better behaved then these two."

Harry looked over at Silas. "I think she's gone 'round the bend," he whispered.

Silas nodded. Something was wrong with this picture.

McGonagall smiled and turned back to the very confused students. "It's settled. Even Professor Dumbledore agrees with me. Fifty points each and detention."

"What!" Silas was furious. "You're listening to a suit of armor!"

"Don't push your luck, Snape," McGonagall snapped. "Off to bed, the both of you, or I'll take more points. Go on now!"

Silas grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him. Harry looked as if he had been kicked, shocked that the teacher had not listened to him. Silas, on the other hand, was so angry she couldn't see straight. She made up her mind to talk to her father the next day, explain what happened. He worked with McGonagall, maybe he knew why she went from a smart and some-what compassionate teacher to a loony.

The next morning, the whole Common Room was up in arms over the sudden drop in points. Once they found out who was responsible, their anger lashed out on the two still confused students. Silas and Harry found themselves targeted for cruel pranks and vicious jabs all through breakfast and their first class.

"How could you, Harry!" Weasley yanked the slender boy aside. His face was redder then his hair and he shook Harry in his anger. "How could you do something so stupid that you lost us a hundred points!"

"I told you, Ron, I saw Hagrid's hut on fire. I went to tell a teacher," Harry protested. "Ron, let go! You're hurting me!"

"We're behind Slytherin now!"

"I'm sure once we talk to McGonagall, she'll change her mind," Silas said, coming to Harry's rescue. "She wasn't in her right mind last night."

Silas was sure that someone would overturn the points or detention. She had heard that morning that Hagrid's hut did burn to the ground last night. She felt justified.

"At least I know who to blame," Weasley snarled. "You probably want your father to win the House Cup. You're a Slytherin. You're born a Slytherin, will always be a Slytherin, and will die a Slytherin. I don't know how you convinced the hat to put you here, but you are nothing more then a dirty Slytherin!"

Silas rolled her eyes, pulling Harry free from the redhead's grip. "Don't be such a jerk, Weasley. I'm far too competitive to just hand the Cup over like that."

"You lost us House points!"

"We were trying to do the right thing and inform someone of the fire!" Silas snapped.

Weasley snorted. "What fire! You can't see Hagrid's hut from here. It's on the other side of the castle!"

Silas frowned and looked out the window. He was right, there was no way they should have seen that fire. But they had, they had seen the hut on fire last night.

"I don't understand this," Harry muttered. "We saw it. I swear, we saw it."

That damned old goat! Silas was sure he was behind this. Who else would project the tragedy of Hagrid's hut to their Common Room? He must have known that Harry was still up. He must have! Silas' hands curled into fists as she realized that any hope of having justice served was gone.

That night, after dinner, she crept down to speak with her father. He had been in a good mood all day when he saw that he was now ahead of Gryffindor. However, his good mood changed as soon as he heard why.

"She was talking to a suit of armor?" Snape started to pace the length of his office. "And you are certain that Harry was the intended target in all of this?"

"I am," Silas said. "Look, Father, I know the Philosopher's Stone is in the school. You know that I know. I'm positive that the old man means for Harry to discover it, too. Something is going on."

"Dumbledore won't endanger the boy's life. He dotes on him too much, like he did for the boy's father. If I didn't know better, I'd swear he had a weakness for Potters."

Silas shrugged. "Maybe he does. I don't suppose you can influence the old man in any way to lessen the punishment? After all, we were right that Hagrid's hut was burning and we were doing the right thing by going to get a teacher."

"I will see what I can do," Snape promised. "It's one thing if you deserved what you got, but it's another if you were set up. No one uses a Snape. No one!"

Silas left, satisfied that something would be done. However, the news her father brought back to her a few days later was not good. She now had an extra week's worth of detentions. For some reason, the old man thought that she was responsible for burning down Hagrid's hut. Nothing Snape said would help her.

"He wants you out of the way," Snape muttered. "You are a threat to him."

Silas snorted. "I'm just a little girl. How can I be a threat?"

"You are one of Harry's closest friends. He listens to you. Dumbledore must be worried that Harry will listen more to you then him."

Silas smiled. "One can only hope."

At the end of the week, Harry and Silas were called by Filch to serve their punishment. They were led to a still distraught Hagrid, standing in front of the Forbidden Forest. They were informed by Filch that this was a too-light punishment and they deserved to be hung by their big toes and whipped with chains.

"You two will be with me," Hagrid moaned. His house had really burnt to the ground because he had been trying to raise a baby dragon. He was now living near the forbidden hallway with his dog, Fang (who terrorized Mrs. Norris). Not even the discovery of the baby dragon, who was now living in a colony in Norway, would cause Dumbledore to relent on the week's worth of detentions he had bestowed on Silas.

They followed him into the woods until he knelt down and touched something on the ground. He held up his fingers, now coated with liquid silver.

"Something has been hunting the unicorns. This one is injured. We're going to find it," Hagrid said. "Harry, you're with me. Silas, you take Fang and check out that area."

"Not on your life," Silas said, eying the dog. It was huge! Fang was at least as big as she was, and there was no way she'd trust he life in the hands of that beast.

"I'm the one in charge here," Hagrid said. "Fang is a good dog. You'll do what I say."

Harry stepped forward, moving to slightly block Silas from Hagrid. "Hagrid, why don't I take Fang and Silas go with you? Or you take Fang and Silas comes with me?"

It took some pleading on Harry's part (and Silas nearly laughed at the puppy eyes he gave Hagrid) before the giant would relent. Harry and Silas were a team.

"Just be back in an hour, and don't get lost," Hagrid said and stomped off.

Silas and Harry shrugged and moved into the woods. Silas secretly loved the Forbidden Forest, having played here several times as a baby. She knew every nook and cranny. She took Harry to see where all the best potions ingredients grew and showed him her father's private little garden.

"Father had planted it after mom died," she explained. "When I was a baby, he'd bring me out here while he tended it. He didn't like using the greenhouses."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Madam Sprout has a bad habit of looking over his shoulder and then 'fixing' what he does," Silas said. "She's too controlling in there."

Harry laughed, "I think I agree. She is pretty intimidating in class."

The sound of a thud drew their attention away from the garden. Worried, Silas and Harry followed the sound. They thought it was probably Hagrid or Fang, or the unicorn.

"Please be the unicorn," Silas whispered. "Anything but Fang."

It was the unicorn. The animal was silvery-white, like the moon. It glowed in the dark of the forest, illuminating the horror of its wounds. Something had sliced its neck.

Something that was crouched by it. A figure wearing a long black robe was kneeling by the unicorn. The body of the figure was twisted, moving oddly as it crouched by the corpse of the unicorn. Silas and Harry watched in horrified fascination as it moved it's hooded head to the flowing silver blood.

It was drinking the unicorn's liquid silver blood.

Harry screamed, trying to get back. The figure jerked back and gazed at them. Red eyes peered out over a mouth that dripped with the unicorn's blood.

"Harry Potter," it hissed.


	12. A Plan Is Formed

Ch. 11

Silas grabbed Harry and pulled him back as the figure advanced, slowly. She held up her wand and cried, "Lumos!" She and Harry quickly wished she hadn't as a white nose-less face with red eyes was revealed. It screamed in pain from the light and fled.

"Let's get out of here," Silas said as she grabbed Harry's hand and ran. They found Hagrid having a conversation with the centaurs at the edge of the forest.

"Find anything," Hagrid asked.

"Yeah, we found what's killing the unicorns," Harry gasped. "And it's ugly and it's still out there and we're going inside."

Before Hagrid could say anything, Silas and Harry took off. Harry was still shaking with fright when they got to the castle. The thing that they saw could not be human. Silas knew she had seen the face of evil.

"Back from your detention so soon?"

They turned to see Dumbledore lurking in the hall behind them. His blue eyes twinkled merrily as he took in their frightened faces.

"Yes," Silas said as she started to back away from the old man. "And we'll be off to bed now. It's late and I have another detention tomorrow night."

"What could you two have seen or done to cause you to run back to the castle like this," Dumbledore asked. He sounded concerned, but Silas wasn't fooled. The old goat wanted to know if they – that is to say Harry – had discovered whatever little secret or clue that was in the forest. Had he known about the monster that sucked the blood of the unicorns, or was there something else lurking in the Forest.

"We saw a monster," Harry said. "Something was sucking the blood from the unicorns. We saw it! It was horrible!"

Dumbledore's eyes flashed triumphantly. "Really? Tell me Harry, what do you know about unicorn blood?"

Confused, Harry said, "It's silver?"

"Ah, yes, but it also can grant cheap immortality to who ever drinks it. However, there is a price to pay, for it is a mortal sin to slay a unicorn. Whoever drinks from a unicorn shall be doomed to a half life, having to rely on unicorn's blood until he – or she – can find a better means to life."

"Oh," said Harry, completely missing the point.

"Can you not think of anyone who would be so desperate for life?"

Silas felt like rolling her eyes. The old man was hinting too heavily at what he wanted Harry to say. The pieces were starting to click in her mind. He really had set up that illusion of Hagrid's hut to lure them out of the Common Room. He must have placed a spell on McGonagall to force her to give them detention. He wanted them to face that creature in the forest!

Or, at least, he wanted all of that for Harry. Silas wasn't part of his plan. No, she was in his way, and now that she was certain that Dumbledore was plotting something for Harry's future, there was no way she'd back down now. That boy was too valuable to her.

Harry gave a gasp and looked up at Dumbledore. "Voldemort? That thing was Voldemort?"

Dumbledore nodded and Silas gave a small hiss at the name of the darkest wizard of all time. Obviously, someone had told Harry it was all right to just utter his name, not knowing that names have power. She wondered what idiot would tell him that.

"Harry, never say that name again," Silas ordered, shaking him once by the shoulders.

"Fear of a name increases fear of the person," Dumbledore said. "It's only a name."

"Names have power," Silas growled. "You don't just say a name without knowing what you're doing. That's why some spells and hexes need the name of the target to be spoken. It's important! And you do not, under any circumstances, say that name under the dark night sky!"

"I see your father filled you with that silly superstition," Dumbledore said sadly before turning back to Harry. "And yes, that was Voldemort, (he ignored Silas's hissing) living a doomed half life until he can come back."

"We have to go," Silas said and dragged Harry away. Once they were back in their Common Room, she turned on him.

"Never utter that name again, Harry. I don't care if Dumbledore is too careless or reckless in what he does, you do not need to attract his attention to you any more then what it is," Silas said. "Saying that name under the dark of night can call him to you. He uses the darkest magic known to all wizards, and only grows more powerful at night. Don't tempt fate by bringing him here."

"Ok, I won't," Harry said. "I don't want to see that thing again, anyway. He killed my parents. I'm not overly eager to renew our acquaintance."

Satisfied, Silas smiled. "Now, we have some planning to do. We now know what Dumbledore is up to."

"Oh?" Harry hadn't been aware that Dumbledore was up to anything.

"Yes. He brought the Stone here, he knows that You-Know-Who is lurking about. He wants you to keep the Stone from the Dark Lord." Silas said triumphantly.

"Why can't he just move it on his own?"

Silas shrugged. "Who knows. Dumbledore is a little crazy, if you ask me. He has this whole thing plotted out, and he wants you to dance to his tune. He didn't count on me being here to help you."

They took what they knew; where the Stone was, what was guarding it, who was after it, and who knew about it. Silas spent her time finding ways to kill Fluffy so they could search the room better and Harry studied defensive and attacking spells with Draco. They got the twins to hand over some of their experiments, which Silas modified in hopes of transfiguring the demon dog into something smaller and easier to behead.

Silas served her detentions in time for the last Quidditch match of the season. Gryffindor verses Slytherin! She sat with Draco and cheered her team on. No one said anything to her since they were now used to seeing the 'traitor' in their midst. To Silas's delight, Gryffindor won.

"There's going to be a huge party tonight," Harry told her. "I can't wait!"

"Don't get too cocky," Draco said, coming up behind Silas. "You only won one Cup. Quidditch is nothing compared to the House Cup, and we're still winning that."

"If you boys are done," Silas said, "we still have work to do. Tonight, I'm testing some of those canary creams on an animal. Do you boys want to come along, or not?"

"We'll come. I want to see this," Draco said. Harry merely nodded.

Silas and Harry stayed in the Common Room for a while as their House mates congratulated Harry on his win. When the time was right, they slipped from the party and huddled under Harry's cloak. They met Draco in the Trophy room.

"Where is the experimental animal," Draco asked.

"I found a family of mice in one of the corridors," Silas explained. "I have been feeding them so that they won't run away when I give them the Canary Creams. We have to make sure that it works on animals for it to work on that dog."

Slowly, they crept down towards the DADA classroom. Silas called out for the mice and Harry watched as the furry little rodents scuttled out. He smiled as she petted them and fed them a bit of cheese to ease their fears.

"Ok, here goes nothing," she said and placed one puff on the ground. The mice swarmed over it, devouring the pastry.

"Will you look at that," Draco muttered as the mice turned into little canaries. "It works."

"Wonderful," breathed Silas.

A sudden noise caused them to jump and hide under the cloak. The noise was coming from the DADA classroom. They crept over to listen.

"You should be more careful, Quirell," Snape's voice rang out. "I know where your true loyalty lies and he won't be forgiving for your deception."

"I-i-i don't know know wh-wh-what you're talking about, S-s-severus," Quirell whimpered.

"You are nothing more then a coward," Snape spat. "Licking the boots of anyone you think will protect you. The second you think you are losing, you switch sides. He will see right through you."

"Wh-wh-what makes you th-th-think that I w-w-won't betray you," Quirell asked. "You offer no pr-pr-protection."

"If you ever double cross me, you sniveling worm, I will make you wish for death. You just remember that I am watching you. I know all about your little forays down to the Philosopher's Stone."

Quirell whimpered again, too scared to talk. Snape stormed from the room and swept past the three hidden students. He only paused to pick up one of the canaries on the ground.

"Bah, Weasleys," he sneered, tossing the helpless creature against the wall. When he was gone, the kids decided to quickly leave. A voice from the classroom stopped them.

"Get up you weak fool," a cold voice hissed. "When the Stone is mine, I will make him pay. He will see the folly of his mistakes."

Quirell slowly walked out past them. They waited, but no one else left the room. Harry huddled by Silas, rubbing his scar. It took all his willpower to not whimper in pain.

Their planning came to a grinding halt when they realized that exams were around the corner. Harry tried to study, but his mind kept drifting to their mission and all the things that could go wrong. He had no idea how he managed to take any of his tests when he was so scared that Voldemort would jump out of the shadows at any time. To make matters worse, his scar was hurting almost all the time.

"That had to be the hardest one yet," Draco complained as they left their Potions exam. "I nearly forgot how to brew my Forgetfulness Potion."

"I doubt Father would see the irony in that," Silas said. She looked over at Harry and noticed he was rubbing his forehead.

"Headache?" she asked.

"No, my scar is burning," Harry said. "It's been doing that for a while now."

"Oh?" Draco raised one elegant silver-blond eyebrow. "When did it start?"

"In the forest, actually," Harry said. "When Silas and I had our detention."

Silas gasped. "You don't think it's because of the Dark Lord, do you?" she whispered. She and Draco exchanged a fearful gaze.

"Maybe. It's been getting worse," Harry said. "Especially since that night we tested the Canary Creams."

"Maybe he's going to make his move tonight," Draco suggested. He was convinced that the mysterious voice that night was from the Dark Lord himself.

"Not with Dumbledore in the castle," Silas said. The three of them looked at each other and realized that they would have to seek Dumbledore out.

"Harry, go ask McGonagall if you can speak to Dumbledore," Silas said. "Say it's an emergency and that you know about the Stone. We'll wait for you by the courtyard."

"No way," Harry said. He had not trusted McGonagall ever since his detention. The more his distrust in her grew, the more he clung to Snape as his favorite teacher. This caused a riff between him and Ron, but he didn't care at the moment.

"Well, we have to find out if Dumbledore is staying in the castle or leaving. How are we going to do that," Draco commented.

"I can go right to Dumbledore," Harry said. "He'll listen to me."

Silas nodded. "He likes you. Go on, then. We'll be waiting."

Harry nodded and ran off. Silas and Draco left for the courtyard, softly discussing what would have to be done if this was indeed the night.

"I have almost everything ready, but I'm missing a potion ingredient. I can get that from Father. This way, if the twin's Canary Creams don't work, I can just poison the beast," Silas said.

"How do you plan on getting to the room? If you're caught, Dumbledore will expel you. He won't expel Harry, but he'd be glad to kick you out."

"Harry's Invisibility Cloak. You can come, too, Draco. We can fit three people under there. Meet us by the portrait of Eileen Prince, she'll keep our secret."

"How do you know?"

Silas smiled. "I think she has a sweet spot for Father. She's always asking about him when Harry and I went up to spy on the room."

A few minutes later, Harry found them. His green eyes were stormy as he flopped down between Silas and Draco. Without saying a word, he curled up with his head in his hands, the very picture of defeat.

"Well," Draco prodded.

"Dumbledore is gone," Harry said. "He got an important owl from the Ministry and will be gone for at least two days."

Silas frowned. "He won't be here?" She tapped her scarred cheek as she mused, "If I were planning on stealing the Stone, I'd do so tonight."

"So, what do we do? Are we really going to go through with it tonight?" Harry asked.

Silas nodded. "We do this tonight. I've already informed Draco of where to meet us."

Harry looked over at Draco, "You're coming?"

Draco smiled. "Someone has to keep you out of trouble."

They spent the rest of the day plotting and getting their things together. They figured that Harry and Silas would get the last ingredient she needed after her father went to bed and then meet Draco by the portrait. Then, they would kill the beast and find the Stone.

That night, Harry and Silas snuck out under the Invisibility Cloak and headed to the Potions lab. They kept silent, just in case Snape's infamous "super senses" heard them. Silas swore her father had an eerie way of always knowing when she was up to no good.

When they got to the lab, Silas went in first. A few seconds later, she ran out and grabbed Harry, dragging him in the lab. He gasped when he saw what had caused Silas to panic.

The lab was a mess. Vials and cauldrons were over turned, potions pulling on the tables and floor, dripping in slow rhythms. Ingredients were littered around the room and the teacher's desk was broken in half. There was blood on the floor by the desk – a lot of blood.

"What happened here," Silas whispered, her voice choking with her tears. "Who could do this to my father?"

"I don't know," Harry said. He slowly walked around the desk, careful to avoid the blood. He found Snape's chess set and carefully picked up the pieces. Many were broken in half and he felt enraged that anyone would hurt something that meant so much to the professor.

"When I find the person who did this, I'll kill them," Silas swore. She was over by the ingredients, staring at the broken bottles and the overturned bags of leaves. This had been her father's livelihood! How dare someone do this to them! No one crosses a Snape and lives. No one!

She didn't even bother getting the last ingredient. They hid under the cloak and quickly left. Silas was still shaking when they picked up Draco and made their way to the room.

"What happened," Draco asked.

"Is everything all right, dear," the portrait of Eileen Prince asked.

Silas shook her head. "Nothing is right. My father is missing," she sobbed. "His room is a mess and there was blood on the floor."

Eileen was silent for a moment, then said, "If I knew he was in danger, I would have told someone. I saw your father and another man go down the hall. Your father was leaning heavily on the other man. I'm sorry, dear. I didn't know."

"We'll save your father, Silas. I promise," said Draco.

"I know," said Silas.

She said good-bye to Eileen and they left. Her father was under the trap door and needed her help. If she ever found out that the old man was behind this, she'd kill him with her bare hands.

The door to the room was unlocked again, and the trio had a feeling that they were expected. Indeed, someone had already taken care of Fluffy. An enchanted harp played while the dog was lulled into slumber. By the middle head was an open trap door.

"Guess you won't need to kill him," Harry said.

Silas snorted. "Of course I still need to," she said. She would not rest well at night, knowing that this monster was still in the castle. Not when she had a chance to rid herself of Fluffy forever. She lifted each head in turn and shoved the Canary Creams inside, wiping the drool off on her robes. The Canary Creams went to work immediately, but with one side effect. Having never been tested on animals with more then one head, each head wanted to make a full canary, but had only one body. The result was each head popping off and killing the dog.

"That worked better then I had hoped," Silas said, kicking one canary head out of her way.

"Ewwww," Harry groaned. "That is sick."

"That was great," Draco said. "Did you see how they just popped like that?"

"That was disgusting," Harry muttered.

They huddled around the trap door, staring into the inky abyss. Draco held his wand out and whispered a lighting charm, but they still couldn't see the bottom.

"Ladies first," said Draco.


	13. Traps

Ch. 12

Harry watched as Silas disappeared in the inky darkness. He heard a soft thud before Draco's hand was on his back.

"Wha-" Harry gasped before he was pushed into the darkness. He felt like he was falling forever before he landed and bounced on a web of vines. He heard and felt, rather then see Draco land next to him.

"Lumos!" Draco's voice called out and the vines were illuminated. The vines were woven across the expanse of the room, not in a way that they could have grown naturally.

"What is this stuff," Draco asked. "What kind of idiot would make a net of vines in here?"

"It's very friendly," Harry said as the vines snaked around his legs.

"It's Strangleweed!" Silas cried.

Draco gave a squeak and started to squirm as the vines wrapped around him. Harry was panicking, as was Silas. Their wand hands were tied and they were helpless. The vines wrapped around them even tighter, dragging them down under the web.

The vines snaked their way around their faces, over their mouths and noses, cutting off their air. They were squeezed and strangled in the darkness. This was not how Harry had ever thought he'd die.

Harry gasped as the vines suddenly dropped them on the floor. The vines waved eerily overhead before retreating back into the web.

"Obviously, death was not the object of that obstacle," Silas said. "Let's get out of here before it changes its mind."

"It has a mind?" Harry asked. Draco thumped him on the head and they left the room through the only door they could find.

The next room was strange, like something out of a dream. Keys with wings were suspended in the air with one lone broom hovering in the middle of the room. A single door was on the opposite end. When they tried the door, it was locked.

"I think we need to get the key," Silas said.

"Which one?" Harry asked, surveying the keys.

Draco sighed. "Come on you two. Think like Slytherins and not Gryffindors."

"Oh? And what do you have in mind?" Silas asked.

"We blow the door down," Draco said. "Only Gryffindors will be stupid enough to actually play this game."

"Can it really be that easy?" Silas asked. "Then why put this here?" She placed her hand on the broom. There was a hush as the very air tensed. Nervous, they looked around and noticed that the keys were now vibrating. Suddenly, the keys sprang to life, swooping and diving at them. Silas screamed as the sharp teeth of the keys cut into her flesh.

"Brilliant, Silas!" Draco snarled. He swatted at the keys and cursed as they cut his hands.

"Just blast the bloody door," Harry cried as he tried to shield Silas and received numerous cuts of his own.

"Reducto!" Draco aimed his wand at the door and was satisfied when it exploded.

They ran through and kept running, the keys humming angrily behind them. They passed through another door and slammed it shut behind them. They felt the door rock slightly as hundreds of keys impaled themselves in the wood.

"Anyone have an idea as to what is going on?" Harry asked.

"I would blame Dumbledore, but I highly doubt even he is this insane," Silas said.

"If not him, then someone on the staff," Draco reasoned. "I hate to think anyone responsible for us would put such a deadly trap in our way."

"Let's just get going," Harry said as he took off his shirt. He wrapped the material around Silas's hand to stop the bleeding. "Who knows what else there might be."

They continued to walk, passing an unconscious troll on the way. When nothing else seemed to attack them, Draco grinned. "Think that was the end of it, then?"

Harry turned. "Not yet," he said. In front of them was a huge chess set, several of the pieces had been blasted to bits.

Silas groaned. "What now?"

Warily, the trio made their way across the board, but they were stopped by the army of pawns on the other side. Any way they tried to exit, the chessmen stopped them.

"I think we're supposed to play," Harry said. "That leaves you two as the masterminds. I'm no where near your league."

Silas and Draco played a wizard's version of Rock, Paper, Scissors (Wands, Potions and Books) and it was decided that Draco would be the chess master. He directed Harry to be a pawn, Silas as a rook, and he was the knight.

Through Draco's expert guidance, they slowly slaughtered the opposition. Finally, it came down to both teams in check. One false move, and they would lose.

"I know what we have to do," Draco said from atop his horse. "It's a risky maneuver, but if I can pull it off, it'll be worth it."

"What is it?" Silas asked.

"I'm going to sacrifice my piece," Draco said. "Once I do, Harry will move to put the king in check mate."

"No, Draco!" Harry cried. "You've seen what happens to captured pieces!" He flung his hand wildly to the side of the board where there was a collection of broken bits. If the living pieces didn't destroy the captured piece, then their own dismantled teammates did in fury of cannibalistic rock.

"I have to, Harry," Draco said.

"He knows what he's doing," Silas said. "And if he doesn't, and gets hurt, I'll kill him!"

"I love you too, Silas," Draco muttered. He then gave the order and watched with dread as the queen left her position to capture him. She thrust her sword into the horse, sending Draco flying off. Horrified, Silas and Harry watched as Draco's prone body was dragged off the board.

"Harry, you have to move," Silas's voice cut into his thoughts. Without thinking, Harry moved those final squares until he was standing in front of the king.

"Checkmate," Harry whispered. He waited long enough for the king to crumble before he and Silas were running off the board to see to Draco.

"Will he be ok?" Harry asked.

"He'll be fine," Silas said. "It'll be a while before he wakes up, though. We should grab the Stone and get out."

Harry nodded. Silas used Harry's bloody shirt to pillow Draco's head and they walked off to their next task. To Harry's surprise, it was a table with several small bottles and a poem.

Silas muttered as she read it, "Nettle wine, water, poison and the right one to get you through. This has my father written all over it."

"Because it's potions?"

"No. Because it's a pain. We have to figure out which one has the potion that will get you to the mirror, but to find it, we have to solve the poem."

"We don't have that time," Harry protested.

Silas nodded and started picking up the bottles and sniffing them. She put each one back as she identified what it was. Finally, she was left with only two.

"One is poison, one is the right one," she said. "There's enough in both for each of us."

"How do we figure out which is the right one?"

Silas paused and put her finger over the opening of one bottle. She turned the bottle over to moisen her finger before she licked the liquid off. Immediately, she spat it out.

"That's the poison. Drink from the other bottle."

"Will you be all right?"

Silas nodded. "It's not a very deadly poison. I'll probably get a stomach ache from the little bit I got in me."

Harry hugged her and quickly drank half of the bottle. He barely had time to put the bottle on the table before he was transported to another room. He could hear voices, argueing. He stayed hidden behind a large piller as he watched Quirell and Snape fought in front of a beautiful mirror. It was obvious that Snape was hurt.

"I will never give a weak worm like you the Stone," Snape snarled. "It is my job to protect it."

"You have no choice, Severus," Quirell sneered. "I will take what is rightfully mine."

Snape staggered as he withdrew his wand. He pointed it shakily at his opponent. "Never! That stone belongs to only one man, and I intend to see that he gets it."

"Is that your final word," Quirell asked.

"No, this is! Oppugno," Snape cried and conjured a large raptor that swooped down on Quirell.

The DADA professor laughed and waved his wand, causing the large bird to vanish. "Is that all you have, Severus? Just that little childish trick?"

Snape fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Harry, from his hiding place, could see that this had taken it's toll on his favorite professor. He had promised Silas that they'd save Snape, and he would not let his friends down.

Harry watched in horror as Quirell raised his wand and blasted Snape. The dark-haired man fell back and lay still.

"No!" Harry darted out and ran to Snape's prone form. "What did you do?"

"Do not fret so, Potter. You will be joining him soon," Quirell said and snatched Harry up.


	14. Voldemort!

Ch. 13

Harry struggled against Quirell's grip. The man was stronger then he ever gave him credit for. No matter how much Harry tried, the older professor was not letting go.

"I had expected that fool Dumbledore," Quirell sneered. "Does he really think that you will stop me?"

"He didn't send me," Harry pleaded. "He doesn't even know I'm here."

Quirell laughed. "He knows. That old man always knows."

"All of our planning will be for naught if that old fool doesn't show up," Quirell snapped. "I was so looking forward to the look on that pathetic Muggle-lover's face when he realized that I was not the weakling he thought I was. I am not the same pathetic man that he once knew. Oh, no, I have been reborn with the help of my Master!"

"Who is your master?" Harry wanted to keep Quirrell talking to give Silas and Draco a chance to get out and get help. "You should know that Dumbledore was called away on urgent Ministry business. He's not here, he has no clue what is going on."

Quirrell gave him a cold smile. "Do not worry yourself, Potter. You will meet my master soon enough. And we will defeat Dumbledore when he returns."

Harry stopped struggling as Quirrell went back to staring in the mirror. The professor was mumbling to himself and Harry finally realized that the nervous man wasn't stuttering anymore. He had no more need of his weak persona. Fear gripped Harry as he realized that he was the prisoner of a true madman.

"It has something to do with this mirror," Quirrell mumbled, "but what? Why did Dumbledore pick this mirror?"

"Use the boy," a raspy voice uttered. Harry jumped and looked around, trying to find the person who spoke. It was the same cold voice that he had heard the night of the canary creams. Quirrell shoved Harry in front of the mirror, causing him to bang his head on the glass.

"Get me the Stone," Quirrell hissed. "Or I will kill Snape. And then, I'll kill his daughter! You wouldn't want that to happen to your little friend, now would you?"

Harry stared at the mirror. "How?"

"I don't know how! Surely Dumbledore has let some information slip?"

Harry shook his head. "No, he hasn't." He was shaking. If he didn't figure out how to get the Stone, then Snape would die. He stared harder in the mirror, wishing he knew how to get the Stone.

He jerked back in surprise as his reflection winked at him. His reflection held up a blood-red stone and then put it in its pocket. Harry felt something heavy drop in his pocket. He had the Stone!

"Well, what do you see?"

"I see Dumbledore talking to me, but I can't hear what's being said," Harry lied. "I'm trying, but I don't know how to get the Stone? Maybe you have to break the mirror?"

"He's lying," the raspy voice said.

"Tell me the truth," Quirrell demanded.

"Let me talk to him," the raspy voice commanded.

"No, Master, you are not strong enough," Quirrell protested.

Harry tried to sneak away as the voice commanded and Quirrell agreed. He did not see Quirrell remove his turban or the creature that now stared at him from the back of Quirrell's head. All he cared about was checking on Snape and getting the Stone out of here.

The creature snapped Quirrell's fingers and a ring of fire surrounded the room, cutting Harry off from Snape. He turned to face the creature for the first time and bit back his scream. Red eyes glared at him from a noseless white face. The face of his nightmares.

"Oh, my God," Harry whispered.

"Close, Harry Potter. So very close," it said. "I am not a god yet, but I will be."

"Voldemort?" Harry whispered. He backed away from the creature in front of him.

"We meet at last," Voldemort rasped. "Look at what you reduced me to, Harry Potter. Nothing but vapor, forced to live like a parasite off of my servant and unicorn's blood. But all that will change if you give me the Stone in your pocket."

Harry's hand flew to his pocket. "No! I won't give you anything! You killed my parents, you tried to kill Snape, and you tried to kill me!"

"Do not be foolish, Harry Potter," Voldemort snarled. "Give me the Stone, and I'll let you and Snape go free."

"I don't believe you," Harry said.

"Believe me, Harry Potter," Voldemort stated. "I can make all your dreams come true. Come here, boy. Let me show you."

When Harry refused, Voldemort issued a spell that forced him to stand by his enemy's side. Voldemort put a fatherly arm around Harry's shoulders, which was awkward because he had to bend Quirell's body in strange ways. Harry's scar was burning him to the point where he could barely see.

"Harry, we are very much alike, you and I. I can tell that you do not wish any harm to come to your little friends. I can grant them safety. All you have to do is trust me."

Harry struggled slightly, but Voldemort had a powerful grip on him. "Look, my boy," the villain enticed. "Look deep in the mirror. It shows you your hearts desire. I can make it reality."

Harry gazed in the mirror. His heart's desire was to be free and for Voldemort to be gone. Instead of seeing that, he saw himself sitting at a chess table with Silas, laughing at something with Snape behind him, showing him a clever move. Silas pouted as Harry captured her queen and Snape gave him a hearty pat on the back. Draco was there, congratulating him as well. They looked so happy.

"What do you see, Harry? What is your desire?"

The scene changed to a Christmas morning. Again, Harry was with Snape and Silas. He was accepted and loved. Snape was showing him passages in a book on potions and Silas was curled up by his side. Like a family, he realized. That was what he wanted, the love of a family.

"You can't give me this," Harry whispered, his heart breaking. "No one can."

"I can, Harry. Just hand me the Philosopher's Stone and I will reward you. What is your heart's desire?"

"Family," he said softly, his green eyes transfixed on the happy picture. "Someone to love me."

"I can give you that, Harry," Voldemort said. One hand reached out and the mirror's image changed. Now, Harry saw himself under the tutelage of his enemy. Instead of the bleak oppressive scene he would have imagined, he saw Voldemort as a father figure. His enemy kindly shared his knowledge and he heard him call him son. Harry's heart twisted at the thought. He knew he should hate the possible future he was shown, but his doppelganger was so happy.

"No!" Harry pulled away from Voldemort. "It's all a lie! You only want to kill me!"

"Now what gave you that idea," Voldemort purred.

"You tried to kill me when I was a baby. You killed my family!"

Voldemort sneered. "I take it, your answer to my proposal is a no?"

"Yes!"

Voldemort's eyes lit up. "Then give me the Stone."

Harry paused. "No! I mean, yes, my answer is no. You can't have the Stone."

Voldemort growled, "So be it, Harry Potter. I tried to be nice to you. This is all on your head!"

Voldemort made a sweeping motion with Quirrell's hand, sending Harry flying. He hit his head on the stone and the world went black. As his conscious faded away, he could have sworn he heard Silas calling his name.


	15. A Surprising Victory

Ch. 14

Silas slowly opened her eyes and recognized the ceiling of the hospital wing. Her whole body ached and she had to concentrate to move her head. To her left was her father, still unconscious. To her right was Harry, who was staring up at the ceiling. When he felt her eyes on him, he turned his head to look at her.

"Hey Silas. How do you feel?"

She tried to shrug, but winced in pain. "I've felt better."

Harry curled up in his bed so he was facing her. "What happened down there?"

"I can't remember a lot of it," Silas said. "I went back to Draco. He woke up and was doing fine. We decided that he should go back up top and I'd go get you."

Harry frowned. "I thought I heard your voice. You made it to the mirror?"

"Yeah," she said with a sheepish grin. "I guess I'm not very good at this whole rescuing thing."

"What do you mean," Harry asked.

Before Silas could answer, the infirmary doors opened and Dumbledore walked in. Silas's wounds throbbed at the sight of the man she hated so much.

"Ah, Harry, you are awake. Good!" Dumbledore sat next to Harry's bed, looking pleased with himself. "How do you feel, my boy?"

"I'm a bit achy," Harry said. "Professor, what happened?"

"A lot," answered Dumbledore. "What do you remember, Harry?"

Silas watched as Harry tried to think. Suddenly, he shot up in the bed, panic on his face. He remembered everything that he went through. "The Philosopher's Stone! Voldemort will get it!"

"Harry, don't say that name," snapped Silas. "Especially not now."

Dumbledore snorted. "Superstitious as always. That name holds no power."

"But, what about the Philosopher's Stone," asked Harry.

Dumbledore stroked his long white beard. "It was smart of you to break it in half, Harry. Voldemort will have to make due with the small piece he escaped with. Quick thinking, my boy."

"It broke in half?"

"Yes." Dumbledore's blue eyes narrowed. "Didn't you break it?"

"No," Harry said. "It was still in my pocket when he knocked me out."

Dumbledore looked over at Silas. She smiled sweetly at him and said, "You could say I broke it in half, but I think You-Know-Who actually did that when he tossed me across the room. I hid what I could under my body, so he must have found the half that went across the floor."

This news seemed to anger Dumbledore. He glared at Silas, tapping his fingers on the chair. Finally, he said, "Not that it mattered if he got half or the whole. I already fixed the Stone so that it would useless to him. He lost, Silas."

"That's a good thing, right," she said.

"Professor," said Harry, trying to draw Dumbledore's attention away from his friend, "what about Quirell?"

"Professor Quirell is, alas, no more. Once Voldemort got his hands on his half of the Stone, he left Quirell's body to die. Your professor could not sustain his own life after it had fed Voldemort for so long."

"And, Professor Snape? How is he?"

"Doing good. He'll be his old self in another day or so."

"What happened to Silas?"

"I was thrown through the mirror," she said. "I managed to get the Stone, but refused to give it to You-Know-Who, and he threw me through the mirror. After that, I can't remember much."

"I wonder if that really happened," muttered Dumbledore. When the two kids looked at him, he merely shrugged and patted Harry on the head. "Get well soon, Harry. The Leaving Feast is in a few days, and I'd like you to be there."

They watched him leave. As the door closed, Harry turned back to Silas. Worry shone in those green eyes. "Is that what really happened?"

She nodded. "Yes. I swear, Harry. You can see my wounds, if you like."

He smiled. "No bother. I believe you. Thank you for coming to my rescue."

"You're welcome."

After Harry settled down to sleep, Silas stared at the ceiling. She couldn't help but remember her time in the mirror room. She met the Dark Lord!

_"Harry!" _

_Silas ran down to where her friend had fallen. She arrived just in time to see the creature that had been Quirell send him flying. She knelt by his body and checked to see if he was breathing. Not too far from his prone form was that of her father's. _

_"Well, well, little Silas Snape. I haven't seen you since you were a baby," the creature said. _

_"Who are you," Silas whimpered. "What do you want?" _

_The creature stood at its full height. "I am the great Lord Voldemort! I am the Dark Lord of the Wizarding world!" _

_Silas gasped as she stared at him. If she hadn't already been kneeling, she would have fallen to the floor. Every part of her felt weak. _

_"As for what I want, you pathetic child, I want the Philosopher's Stone. Get it for me, and you will be rewarded." _

_"I don't know where it is," she said. _

_"It's in the boy's pockets. Quickly now, give it to me."_

_Silas fished around in Harry's pockets and found the stone. She brought it out and looked at it. It was beautiful. A deep red stone that sparkled under the lights. She could look at it forever. _

_"Good girl. Now, give it to me," Voldemort commanded. _

_Taking a deep breathe, she said, "I can't." _

_"What?" _

_"I can't just hand it over to you. Dumbledore will be here soon. He'll know if I just gave you the Stone." _

_"Hand it over, or I'll kill your father and friend." _

_Silas stood up. "I'm sorry, Dark Lord, but you will have to take it from me. I wish I could just hand it to you, but if Dumbledore ever thought I was on your side, he'd take his revenge on my father. I can't let that happen." _

_Voldemort paused. "You want me to take the Stone from you?" _

_She nodded. "Make it look good or they'll know."_

_Voldemort smiled and it was a sight that Silas hoped to never see again. "As you wish, child," he said and the next thing she knew, she was airborn. She felt pain slice through her body as she landed through the mirror. There was the sound of something scattering across the floor, and then darkness._

Alone with her thoughts, Silas wondered if maybe she should have just handed the stupid rock over and said that she got scared or something. Letting the Dark Lord beat her up was not one of her greatest ideas. However, he got away with at least half the Stone, and that was better then no Stone at all. A moan from her father's bed captured her attention. She looked over to see her father waking up. He groaned as he stretched, trying to bring life back to his limbs.

"Hi Father," she whispered. "How do you feel?"

"Like a herd of hippogriffs used me for a trampoline."

She smiled. "That good, huh?"

He turned to look at her. "Yes, that good. What happened to you?"

"I was tossed through a mirror," she said. "I'll tell you all about it later."

He grumped, "See what playing hero does?"

She shrugged and winced in pain. Her father slowly sat up, working the kinks out of his body. "Father, what happened to you? I saw your lab. It was a mess."

Snape snorted, looking down at the blanket. "Quirell surprised me. One second he's the weakling I've always known him to be, and the next he's blasting me through my desk. I was caught off guard."

"I was worried about you," Silas said. "I don't want to lose you."

Snape gave his daughter a small smile. "You won't. I promise."

By the time the Leaving Feast started, all three of them were healed. When Snape wasn't around, Harry acted as Silas' protector. He didn't let her go anywhere without his being there to make sure she was all right. Ok, almost anywhere. Harry wasn't allowed in the girl's dorms or toilets.

"I can't believe we lost the House Cup to Slytherin," Ron moaned. "We were only sixty points behind them. Why couldn't we have won!"

"They won, get over it," Silas said. "We'll beat them next year."

Ron glared at Silas. "I bet you're happy," he snarled. "Your daddy gets his trophy."

Silas ignored him, eating her dinner. Nothing she said would convince him otherwise, so why waste her breathe? In fact, a part of her was happy that Slytherin won. She could see the triumphant look on her father's face. When her father was happy, she was happy. All was right in the world.

"Another year gone," said Dumbledore, drawing the attention of the students to him. "Another year, and I've been reminded that we have some rewards to hand out. The Quidditch Cup goes to Gryffindor this year. Congratulations."

Gryffindor exploded with cheers. Several members of the team slapped Harry on the back for his role in their victory. The other tables gave them a polite applause. Draco looked oddly pleased and Silas knew that her blond friend was already planning on joining his team next year. He saw competition in Harry, something to strive for and beat.

"Also, we have the House Cup," Dumbledore continued once the yelling died down. "Before we do, there are some last minute points that need to be awarded."

"Some what," Silas whispered. She looked over at her father, but he was as clueless as she was. What was the old man thinking?

"In light of recent events, I award Harry Potter for his bravery and determination. He stood up to Professor Quirell, whom you all know went crazy after exams. Harry Potter stood between Quirell and his goal of destructive power. For that, I award him with sixty-five points."

Silas shook her head. The old man couldn't let Slytherin win, could he! Oh, no! He had to award Harry with more points so Gryffindor could take home all the Cups. It must have slipped the old goat's mind that she and Draco helped Harry, that she also faced the Dark Lord.

"Silas, are you ok," asked Harry. "You're shaking."

"We won!" Ron jumped up as the new points were tallied. Gryffindor beat Slytherin by five points. All the students stared in shock as the Cup was presented to McGonagall. Ron's cry broke them out of their trance. Gryffindor cheered, but none of the other tables joined in.

"Harry, isn't it great? We won!" Ron hugged his friend and jumped up and down. Harry shook him off, embarrassed. Silas looked over at her father. He was livid. It would not be a good summer this year. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way out of this, of a way to make things better. Somewhere, out there, the Dark Lord was being reborn and she had to put her plan to pry Harry away from Dumbledore into action. But how?

"Hey, Harry," Ron said, leaning over to the dark-haired boy. "Why don't you spend some time with my family this summer? My mum would love to have you over."

A light went off in Silas' head. Of course!

"Oh, darn," Silas said. "I was going to see if Harry wanted to spend the summer with me and Draco. I heard Uncle Lucius put in a practice Quidditch pitch for Draco."

Harry looked conflicted. He wanted to stay with both. Ron had told him about having lots of brothers, and Harry had never had siblings. However, he did want to fly against Draco. He had watched his blond friend during their lessons and knew that Draco had a grace that he could only wish to have.

"How about you spend a few days each place," Silas said, noticing his look. "Summer is a long enough time for that. Plus, you will need to get your summer lessons done. I can help you with those."

"Summer lessons?"

She nodded. "You'll see. Tomorrow, each teacher sends a list of essays and readings that you have to do over the summer and hand in next year. We're not allowed to do magic, but we do have to keep our minds sharp. Uncle Lucius has a wonderful library, and I'm sure he'd let you use some of his books."

Harry bit his lip as he thought this over. "Sure, why not. I'm positive Uncle Vernon won't mind if I don't spend all summer with them. In fact, I bet he'd welcome the idea."

Before Ron could say anything, Silas said, "I'll tell Uncle Lucius and he can pick you up at your uncle's house. Just give me the address."

Harry nodded. Silas smiled as this was just what she needed. Once she got him to the Malfoy home, she and Draco could continue teaching him about the real wizarding world and not this Muggle-loving crap that Dumbledore wanted. Plus, with the Dark Lord soon to be risen, she was positive that she could make him more sympathetic to the Dark Lord's cause. All she had to do was make sure that he valued her friendship over the Weasel's. The summer was starting to look up.

author's note

I am so sorry for the strange way this uploaded. I don't know what happened. I've fixed it. I guess I'll have to keep an eye on my documents so this won't happen again.


	16. Summer Begines

Ch. 15

To the casual observer, the vast manor home in Wiltshire was calm and quiet. The very picture of a proper place to live. Green rolling gardens surrounded the large stone building, always immaculate. A fancy car sat in the driveway, though it appeared as if no one ever moved it. The casual observer never got farther then the front gates, though. It was the home of the Malfoy family, and no one was invited through the gates unless they were a wizard.

Still, it looked like a peaceful place to live.

Inside, on this bright sunny summer day, it was not peaceful. Lord Voldemort glared down at the assembly of his Deatheaters, anger radiating from every pore of his being. Someone was going to pay dearly for this outrage!

"Will one of you please point out what they think is wrong with this picture," Voldemort sneered. "I just can't seem to put my finger on it. Something is not right with the results of the Philosopher's Stone. Please, inform of this little mistake!"

Trembling, Snape looks up at his master. "You did not regain a full human form, my lord," he said.

Voldemort snarled, "No, I didn't! I was expecting this to be my glorious re-entry into the world, and instead, I'm a ghost! A bloody ghost who can't even hold a wand! Lucius, place Snape under the Cruciatus curse until I say to stop."

Snape's screams filled the room as Lucius obeyed. If Voldemort was worried that his followers would not obey him as a ghost, he had nothing to fear. He was more solid now then he had been, and that meant, in their minds, that he was more in the here and now. One more spell and he would be solid and any infraction on their part would be punished.

After a few minutes, Voldemort told Lucius he could stop. Snape huddled on the ground, shivering in pain. Silas looked over at her father in sympathy. She wanted to hug him, to hold him and let him know that it would be all right. Too bad she didn't believe that herself.

"Which brings me to you, young Snape," Voldemort sneered as he stood in front of Silas. "We have a lot to talk about."

"I can explain, Master," Silas said. "I did not know that Dumbledore had tampered with the Stone. I would have warned you if I knew."

Voldemort knelt on the ground so that he was now eye-to-eye with her. This did not help ease her fear. Instead of staring at his legs, she now got to see his face. He had been rather handsome in life with wavy black hair and piercing dark eyes. He wore his school uniform and robes, appearing as a young man of seventeen. However, the anger and hate that twisted his face took away that beauty and made him a frightful figure.

"I am sure you would have, little Snape," he spat. "I do understand you pathetic attempt to fight me down there. Tell me, did the old fool believe you?"

"Not really. He was still suspicious," Silas admitted. "I am sorry, Master. I failed you."

Voldemort studied her for a moment and then said, "There is something I want you to explain to me. How you answer will mean the difference between life and death."

She nodded, lowering her eyes meekly. "I will answer with the truth to any question you have, Master."

"Why is Harry Potter expected to visit this house? For what reason would you have to invite my enemy here?"

Silas gulped. "I invited Harry here in hopes of luring him away from Dumbledore's hold. He is opened to your teachings, Master, but he resists because of the old man's agents. I could not stand the thought of what ever power Harry possesses falling into Dumbledore's hands. Not when it should be yours!"

Voldemort's face slowly lost the anger and he became handsome once more. "How interesting. Tell me more of your little plan."

"I first met Harry after he received his Hogwarts letter. Dumbledore was so insistent to get Harry to attend the school, that he harassed Harry's family until they said yes. I remember the stories from growing up, that some fluke of luck saved him as a kid. He's already a symbol to many of hope, and he is something that Dumbledore wants badly. The old fool already pitted him against you this year, placing his belief that Harry would beat you," Silas explained. "Harry must have a power that the old man wants. I just thought that I might be able to convince him to abandon the old man and serve you instead."

Voldemort started to smile. "And by bringing him here, you hope to get him to kneel at my feet and swear his loyalty?"

"Not yet, Master. He's not ready," said Silas. She looked up into her lord's face and a new plan formed in her mind. "I do have an idea, Master. If I may speak freely."

"Amuse me, little Snape."

Taking a deep breathe, she said, "This form of yours might be a blessing, Master. With it, you can gain Harry's trust. He only knows you as the form you took with Quirell. I think this body will put him more at ease."

For an instant, Voldemort's eyes flashed red. Silas whimpered and wished she had kept her mouth shut. When there was no order for her to be tortured or killed, she dared to look up. Voldemort was thinking her words over.

"Yes, that might work. Who would suspect that the great Lord Voldemort was hiding as a ghost in Malfoy Manor? I can't use my name, though. That would give me away," he mused. "I must think of something that I wouldn't mind that filthy Half-blood calling me."

Satisfied, he let his Deatheaters go. Silas ran to her father and helped him up. Together, they left the room and prepared for Harry's arrival the next day. It was planned that Lucius, to put Harry's Muggle relatives at ease, would show up with the car. Harry would stay for three weeks, and then be sent to the Weasley's home. Silas knew that they had to convince Harry that the Malfoy view was right and that the Weasley view was wrong. She had to make sure that it was not an idea that would slip his mind once he got the redhead's home.

The next morning, the household was awakened by Silas' screams. Snape and Narcissa were the first people through her bedroom door. They found Silas sitting on her bed, crying as she stared at something under the covers.

"What is it," Snape demanded. "What is going on?"

"Someone cursed me," Silas sobbed. "I'm dying!"

By now, the rest of the Malfoy household was standing outside her door. Lord Voldemort hovered behind Lucius before he decided that as their lord and master, he should have a front row seat.

"What are you talking about," Lord Voldemort snapped. "What curse?"

"I'm bleeding!"

At that moment, Narcissa, who had been examining Silas, yelled, "Out! All of you! Out!"

"You do not order me around, woman," Voldemort snarled.

Narcissa drew herself up to her full height. "Silas is not dying. She is now a woman. Someone should talk to her about what to expect."

Lucius and Draco quickly left the room. Snape looked stunned. "My daughter is now a woman?"

"What does that mean," Voldemort demanded. "What does that have to do with...Oh."

Narcissa nodded. "Ok, all of you men, out of the room."

Lucius reached in and grabbed Snape, dragging him from the room. Reluctantly, Voldemort left as Narcissa sat on the bed and hugged Silas.

"My daughter is a woman," Snape whispered. "My little girl is all grown up."

"No she's not," Lucius said. "She's still just a kid. This is just one step towards adulthood."

Snape sat down in the study while Lucius and Draco prepared to drive out to Surrey and pick up Harry. Voldemort amused himself by hovering by Silas' bedroom door, trying to listen in on the mysterious womanly knowledge that Narcissa was imparting on the girl.

Three hours later, at Number Four, Privat Drive in Surrey, the relatives of Harry Potter were nervously pacing in their house. They had been informed that Harry's freakish friends would arrive to pick him up.

"What kind of car are they driving," Uncle Vernon snapped, peering out of the window. "No good worthless lay-abouts. Can't even pick up a phone to let us know if they're going to be late."

"I don't know what car Mr. Malfoy has," Harry said. He had packed everything and was sitting on his clothes trunk. A book on Potions was opened in front of him and he was eagerly reading about a fire protection potion that he was going to write his summer essay on. Snape had given him extra topics for homework, stating that he believed Harry needed to stay out of trouble.

"Why can't they use the phone," Dudley, Harry's cousin, complained.

"Because they use owls," Harry responded.

Before Dudley or Uncle Vernon could either question Harry or remark on the absence of his friends, a lovely black car rolled into the driveway. Uncle Vernon's mouth dropped as he watched as two very well-dressed people got out. These were Harry's friends?

When the two blond figures rang the door bell, Uncle Vernon nearly fell over himself answering the door. He now got a good look at his guests. One was a man with long blond hair, cold gray eyes and an obvious aristocratic air. The other was a boy who had to be his son, they were so alike.

"Is Harry here," the boy asked.

"Harry? Oh! Yes, come on in. We were just waiting for you," Uncle Vernon said. These two could not be magical freaks. He had met James Potter and his lay-about friends. These two, however, were their opposites. This had to be a joke.

Harry looked up and smiled. "Hi Draco! Hello Mr. Malfoy."

"Harry," Lucius said, tilting his head to the dark-haired boy, "got everything packed?"

"Yes sir. I'm ready to leave."

Lucius nodded and turned back to Uncle Vernon. "If wouldn't mind moving the bags to the trunk of the car, we have a schedule to keep."

"Uncle Vernon, I don't think you'd like to explain to the neighbors why my bags are floating out to the car," Harry said, innocently.

Turning a bright red (though from anger or embarrassment, Harry didn't know), Uncle Vernon grabbed the trunk and dragged it out to the car. Lucius sneered as he watched the fat man pack.

"I was a bit taken back when I found out Silas invited you without talking to me first, Harry," he said, "but now I see that she had her reasons. It will do you some good to be with your own kind."

Harry shrugged and marked his place in his book. "I'm really looking forward to spending the next week or so with you, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius smiled and guided the boy out. Uncle Vernon grunted a good-bye and hurried back inside. If anyone cared to ask him about the car or where Harry went, he told them that the man was from Harry's school, a place called St. Brutus' School for the Incurably Insane. It was better to have a nephew who everyone thought was nutty then to have a wizard.

Then again, almost no one asked about Harry at all.


End file.
